Post-Fire: The future of growth in SD? (San Diego: apartment, insurance)

[american_life]

Is the reputation of SD severely undermined? Will the memories of Cedar and Witch combined give SD a long lasting taint which will permanently slow the pace of growth?

[Huckleberry3911948]

Originally Posted by american_life

Is the reputation of SD severely undermined? Will the memories of Cedar and Witch combined give SD a long lasting taint which will permanently slow the pace of growth?

not sure. time will tell. but they gota stop planting trees and bushes around houses.
stephen s
san diego ca

[kettlepot]

No, it won't hurt San Diego's reputation.

The reputation of San Diego's residents has been helped by these fires, though I realize you were asking more about our physical safety and economic viability reputation.

What I think you will find is that fire insurance for houses on the exurban fringe will become more expensive and prove to be an offset to the cheaper land out there. That may prove to be a brake on development in the hills, but then building out there was already slowing down. The hills to the east make much of the land unbuildable, or if it is technically buildable the zoning and environmental restrictions prevent it. The traffic and cost of gas to get from out there to where the jobs are is also slowing development at the fringes of the metro area. Not to mention that the hill areas are quite hot in the summer so the residents there are missing out on a lot of San Diego's great weather. The combination of all these factors will drive growth inwards, and boost what is already proving to be a growing trend in San Diego's growth pattern. You will continue to see more apartment/condo towers built in areas like Downtown, Park West, Hillcrest and Little Italy, after the current glut is worked off. In coming decades you will also see more of this kind of redevelopment along main thoroughfares in Clairemont and University City, and in the North County areas immediately east of I-5. Coastal Commission restrictions should prevent apartment towers in the coastal neighborhoods west of I-5 along the coast. Plus all of those areas have nasty traffic issues because of limited freeway access, which will also prevent adding housing capacity.