July 2026

July 2026 Newsletter

We're Officially a 501(c)(3)

We're glad to share that West Uptown United is now officially recognized by the IRS as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. In practical terms, that means your donations are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law. Later this year, we'll also send proof-of-donation letters for contributions of $250 or more, containing all of the IRS-required organization information for your tax-deduction records.

Visit Our Website

Our website is up and running at westuptownunited.org, and, like everything with a brand-new organization, it's still a work in progress. You'll find updates, meeting information, past newsletters, and an easy way to donate. Bookmark it or add a home-screen shortcut so it's always just a tap away.

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What's Happened Since Our Last Newsletter

• Building out the corporation. We're hard at work finalizing our bylaws, and we've formally defined the neighborhood we represent: bounded by Washington Street to the north, Laurel Street to the south, First Avenue to the east, and Goldfinch Street / Reynard Way to the west. The map below shows our current area in orange, along with a blue area we hope to grow into as resources allow.

  

• Construction activity at 3560 Front Street. Work has recently been underway at the property. When we checked, no permit appeared to be on file for it, so we reported it to the City (code enforcement complaint CE-0542808). It's fair to ask: if the interests behind this project won't take the basic, responsible step of pulling a permit for a small job on an existing house, what confidence can the community have that they'll follow code on a 7-story, 74-unit building? The perception isn't reassuring.
• New preliminary review, filed and now closed. In late June, a new preliminary review was submitted to the City for the site (record PRJ-1159599), again for a 7-story, 74-unit project under the Complete Communities Now and SB 330 programs. City records show that review was completed and closed on August 4, 2026. No permit application has been filed yet, and we're watching the City's records closely for any new activity. We've shared all of this with our legal counsel.
• Public records. Transparency matters to us, so we've been using the California Public Records Act to obtain the City's own records on this project. The records we've received so far are publicly available at sandiego.nextrequest.com/requests/26-3774 and /requests/26-3066. Our legal counsel has since submitted a further request for records on the most recent review and on earlier reviews we haven't yet received, and has followed up with the City regarding outstanding records under the Act.
• Historic review of 3560 Front. As part of those records requests, we also obtained the City's 2023 historic review of the property. In a determination dated October 9, 2023, the City's Heritage Preservation staff found that the property does not meet local designation criteria under any adopted Historical Resources Board criteria. That determination is stated to be effective for five years unless new information is provided regarding the building's eligibility.
• SB 79, a new state transit-housing law. On the state-law front, SB 79 took effect July 1, 2026. It requires cities to allow higher-density housing near qualifying transit stops, setting state minimum height, density, and floor-area standards that can override local zoning within a half-mile of those stops. SANDAG, the regional planning agency, released a draft map of qualifying stops on June 18, 2026, which remains in draft. The current draft map does not include our neighborhood. You can view SANDAG's draft SB 79 map at https://www.sandag.org/projects-and-programs/regional-initiatives/housing/draft-sb-79-transit-oriented-development-map.
• Information cards are printed. We've printed informational cards that explain who we are and lay out the concerns about 3554-3560 Front Street. We've started getting them out into the neighborhood, and we'd love more hands to help spread the word. If you can take a small stack for your building or block, email us at westuptownunited@gmail.com.

$30

Show Your Support with a WUU T-Shirt

Represent the neighborhood and help fund our work. WUU t-shirts are $30, and the proceeds from every shirt go directly to our legal defense fund. Email westuptownunited@gmail.com to get yours.

Who We Are

West Uptown United is a nonprofit of West Uptown neighbors advocating for responsible development and for the City's enforcement of its own zoning, safety, and variance standards. Our current focus is the proposed development at 3554-3560 Front Street (a 7-story, 74-unit building; no permits approved). You can find our past newsletters archived at westuptownunited.org/newsletters.