San Diego · issues
Civic issues
Topics getting the most attention in San Diego public meetings, ranked by how frequently they come up.
Data Center Moratorium
San Diego just pressed pause on building new data centers to figure out better zoning rules. While this slows down local tech growth, city leaders are trying to get a handle on how these massive facilities impact our neighborhoods.
Temporary moratorium on data centers
The council paused all new data center approvals for 45 days while it writes permanent rules, after a proposed 400-megawatt facility at the federal NAVWAR site in Old Town alarmed residents. Speakers worried about soaring electric bills, water use in a drought, noise, and land that could otherwise hold housing. The moratorium can't touch the NAVWAR project itself — that's federal land — so the council is asking Congress to intervene.
Data Center Regulation
San Diego is considering hitting pause on new downtown data centers with a temporary ban and fresh regulations. City leaders want to step back and figure out how these heavy-duty tech facilities fit into our downtown space before letting any more pop up.
Police surveillance technology (Flock/ALPR)
The Council approved the SWAT team's Tac Cat armored rescue vehicle technology under the city's surveillance ordinance, funded by a $377,274 donation.
Starling Place affordable housing for people experiencing homelessness
Advocates said the safe sleeping site has ballooned toward 600 tents without shade, ground cover, or adequate showers, and that the Neo Good Day Center's closure removes over half the city's public bathrooms for homeless residents.