Hillcrest Gateway

Project Overview:
Hillcrest Gateway 
^{Hillcrest Core}

^{A Self-Initiated Entitlement Effort That Helped Shape Hillcrest’s New Zoning}

^{Gateway mixed-use district
Density preservation turned density expansion policy shift
Coalition-led planning advocacy that delivered 584 housing units
Represented Community}

The Background

Hillcrest Gateway was widely viewed as an impossible project, set within one of San Diego’s most established and politically engaged neighborhoods where increased density had historically faced strong resistance.

While marketing a prominent gateway property in Hillcrest for the Pernicano family, Jeannine Savory uncovered a proposed downzoning that threatened not only the value of the asset but the long term urban future of Hillcrest’s core. The proposed changes would have significantly reduced allowable density and FAR, effectively freezing thoughtful mixed use growth in one of the city’s most walkable neighborhoods.

This effort was not client directed nor contractually required. Recognizing the broader implications, Jeannine initiated what became the Hillcrest Gateway effort as a passion project rooted in smart urban planning, affordability, and long term community benefit.

Our Solution

Jeannine catalyzed a density preservation framework by assembling an experienced multidisciplinary coalition to engage directly in the planning process. She formed the Hillcrest Gateway initiative, bringing together neighboring property owners, land use experts, architects, economists, and legal counsel to reframe the conversation around density.

The initiative was advanced by a seasoned development and advisory team led by Bennett Greenwald, with Sherm Harmer of Urban Housing Partners, and supported by Marcela Escobar Eck of Atlantis Group Land Use Consultants, Gary London of The London Group, Ricardo Rabines of Safdie Rabines Architects, Jeff Chien of Allen Matkins, Pauly De Bartolo of DBRDS, and Howard Blackson.

Through years of sustained engagement including planning meetings, community outreach, data driven analysis, and visual storytelling, the team demonstrated how increased density at the gateway could coexist with neighborhood character while supporting affordability, walkability, and economic vitality.

End Result

Five years later, the outcomes validated the original vision.

Every commitment made to the community has been delivered, with 584 new homes already built across the sites identified in the 2019 Hillcrest Gateway plan. Beyond individual projects, Hillcrest Gateway fundamentally shifted the planning narrative, helping the community see density not as a threat but as a tool for responsible growth.

That groundwork contributed to a broader policy shift, culminating in the City’s recent approval of updated zoning regulations that now enable the potential for approximately 17000 additional housing units within the Hillcrest community.

What began as a self initiated effort to protect a single property evolved into a catalyst for long term zoning reform, demonstrating how leadership, conviction, and early action can shape the future of an entire neighborhood.