San Diego’s plan to celebrate and recognize the LGBTQ+ community is off track, and we need to change this. Hillcrest needs an LGBTQ+ Cultural District to protect our heritage and history.
The City’s planning staff are currently working on a Historic District to preserve old buildings in the heart of Hillcrest. Their plan will stifle the very historic businesses that they’re trying to protect. An LGBTQ+ Cultural District will make sure that our historic LGBTQ+ businesses can continue to adapt, grow, and not be forced to absorb expensive preservation costs.
Hillcrest’s nightlife businesses are at the heart of the history of the neighborhood and these businesses should be protected and not just the buildings they inhabit. From the seventies through today, clubs and restaurants have created safe spaces for the LGBTQ+ community to flourish and grow. Certain conditions have existed in Hillcrest to allow this to happen, and we need to make sure that these conditions continue.
The LGBTQ+ Cultural District should implement several concrete steps to preserve our business and residential communities into the future.
First, the City should scrap plans to create a Historic District in the heart of Hillcrest that will continue to drive up property prices for new residents.
Second, it should create a comprehensive plan for an LGBTQ+ Hillcrest historical interpretive program highlighting important locations, buildings, and social events.
Third, it should create permissive sidewalk cafe rules for outdoor dining, allow for new entertainment licenses to be issued based on merit, provide disclosure statements for new residents that highlight that they’re moving into an entertainment area, and special rules and fees that encourage and protect festivals, street fairs, and parades.
Forcing LGBTQ+ businesses to operate in historic buildings is like forcing you to live in someone else’s skin—it’s not right. Our businesses need to be able to thrive and grow just like our dynamic LGBTQ+ community does. The best way to celebrate and preserve our history is to ensure that our story continues as dynamic and vibrant as the day it began in Hillcrest.
In our recent discussions with Councilman Stephen Whitburn, 3rd District, we commended him for not only being in support of the “LGBTQ+ Cultural District”, but also committing to taking a strong leadership role in this effort.
Terry Sidie – Publisher
Nicole Murray Ramirez – Associate Publisher
