A group of Serra Mesa residents are suing the San Diego City Council over its approval of a development near Montgomery Field they say is too big for their neighborhood.
The Serra Mesa Community Council said the City Council did not conduct a formal environmental study before developers can proceed, according to The San Diego Union-Tribune.
James Feinberg, a member of a neighborhood planning group, maintains that the Palladium at Aero project is out of scale and out of character with the community.
City Council President Ben Hueso said the council majority did its best to balance the needs of the community with the interests of the developers.
The project includes 412 apartments and 5,200 square feet of retail space on 7.5 acres.
The Centrum 1 Office tower, near Montgomery Field, caused chaos at City Hall after it was built to stand 180 feet high. Last year, the FAA said the 12-story building was a hazard to planes, but its owners refused to remove the top two floors because they said they had required a proper building permit.
The tower touched off lawsuits and an admission from Mayor Jerry Sanders that he had made mistakes in granting the building permits. Two city officials also resigned in the wake of the scandal.
Eventually, the developer removed the building's top two floors were removed, reducing its height below 160 feet.
