Protect the Benjamin Library from redevelopment
The Issue
🚨 Allied Gardens Neighbors — We Need Your Voice 🚨
*Petition to Preserve the Allied Gardens/Benjamin Library and Protect Our Community*
My name is Kayla, and like many families, my connection to Allied Gardens goes back generations.
As a child, I experienced firsthand what makes this neighborhood so special. It was a place where kids could safely walk to school, ride bikes, and spend time at the rec center, the library, and other community spaces. It was walkable, it was connected, and most importantly, it was safe.
Today, I am raising my own children and made the decision to move to Allied Gardens for the very same reasons. Safety, walkability, and a strong sense of community.
That is why I was deeply concerned to learn that the Benjamin Library site is being considered for redevelopment into a library with a multi-unit affordable housing project.
The existing library has served this community well for decades. It is functional, appropriately scaled, and integrated into the neighborhood.
This neighborhood works because it has remained true to what it has always been: a small, safe, walkable, family-oriented community. Introducing a large, high-density development at this location risks changing that in ways that cannot be undone. Increased traffic, parking strain, and shifts in the day-to-day environment could impact the safety and accessibility that families rely on; especially for children who walk to and from school, and for our senior community that walks to and from our community resources.
This is not about opposing affordable housing. Housing is an important issue, but location matters. Not every site is appropriate for high-density development, particularly when it comes at the cost of a well-functioning community.
Right now, the city is working on the "Affordable Home Development Master Plan" which includes review of 20 city-owned sites, 11 of which the city is considering for redevelopment . The Benjamin Library is one of those 11 sites!
Right now, the city is asking for residents to give feedback on the 11 project sites, which is why it’s so important that we share our sentiments with the city now before it’s too late.
As it stands, their website reads: "City services would remain on site, and no housing is being built on the properties included in this study at this time. Instead, the Master Plan will evaluate potential opportunities and determine where future affordable homes could be incorporated on City‑owned sites." So essentially they're saying, we're not going to build the housing right now, but once you all forget about this and can't oppose it because it's too late, we will.
And to that I say, NOT SO FAST!!
We respectfully ask the City of San Diego to:
—Remove the Benjamin Library site from consideration for high-density redevelopment
—Preserve and invest in the existing library if possible
—Prioritize alternative locations better suited for housing development
Allied Gardens already has something special. It should be protected, not replaced!
Take Action:
If you share these concerns, please sign and share this petition and make your voice part of the official community record.
You can also contact City leadership directly:
Mayor Todd Gloria — mayortoddgloria@sandiego.gov
Councilmember Raul Campillo — raulcampillo@sandiego.gov
Together, we can ensure that this community remains a place where families and future generations can experience the same safety, walkability, and sense of belonging that has defined Allied Gardens for decades.
For more information on the huAffordable Housing Master Plan, click here: https://www.sandiego.gov/planning/work/affordable-home-development-master-plan?fbclid=IwVERDUATgdrdwZG9mBWZkaWQWUL4ex99x_aS4-EXAuLO21u9xX1Lpt2V4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkCjY2Mjg1NjgzNzkAAR7tyjFyxJ8iEjx4yEdanVNhuy-Fb9FRhtUbC4w62QLleyKt5_zS0j8zARLwqw_aem_AneaAVCnVowOwAC-UwUi0A
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The Issue
🚨 Allied Gardens Neighbors — We Need Your Voice 🚨
*Petition to Preserve the Allied Gardens/Benjamin Library and Protect Our Community*
My name is Kayla, and like many families, my connection to Allied Gardens goes back generations.
As a child, I experienced firsthand what makes this neighborhood so special. It was a place where kids could safely walk to school, ride bikes, and spend time at the rec center, the library, and other community spaces. It was walkable, it was connected, and most importantly, it was safe.
Today, I am raising my own children and made the decision to move to Allied Gardens for the very same reasons. Safety, walkability, and a strong sense of community.
That is why I was deeply concerned to learn that the Benjamin Library site is being considered for redevelopment into a library with a multi-unit affordable housing project.
The existing library has served this community well for decades. It is functional, appropriately scaled, and integrated into the neighborhood.
This neighborhood works because it has remained true to what it has always been: a small, safe, walkable, family-oriented community. Introducing a large, high-density development at this location risks changing that in ways that cannot be undone. Increased traffic, parking strain, and shifts in the day-to-day environment could impact the safety and accessibility that families rely on; especially for children who walk to and from school, and for our senior community that walks to and from our community resources.
This is not about opposing affordable housing. Housing is an important issue, but location matters. Not every site is appropriate for high-density development, particularly when it comes at the cost of a well-functioning community.
Right now, the city is working on the "Affordable Home Development Master Plan" which includes review of 20 city-owned sites, 11 of which the city is considering for redevelopment . The Benjamin Library is one of those 11 sites!
Right now, the city is asking for residents to give feedback on the 11 project sites, which is why it’s so important that we share our sentiments with the city now before it’s too late.
As it stands, their website reads: "City services would remain on site, and no housing is being built on the properties included in this study at this time. Instead, the Master Plan will evaluate potential opportunities and determine where future affordable homes could be incorporated on City‑owned sites." So essentially they're saying, we're not going to build the housing right now, but once you all forget about this and can't oppose it because it's too late, we will.
And to that I say, NOT SO FAST!!
We respectfully ask the City of San Diego to:
—Remove the Benjamin Library site from consideration for high-density redevelopment
—Preserve and invest in the existing library if possible
—Prioritize alternative locations better suited for housing development
Allied Gardens already has something special. It should be protected, not replaced!
Take Action:
If you share these concerns, please sign and share this petition and make your voice part of the official community record.
You can also contact City leadership directly:
Mayor Todd Gloria — mayortoddgloria@sandiego.gov
Councilmember Raul Campillo — raulcampillo@sandiego.gov
Together, we can ensure that this community remains a place where families and future generations can experience the same safety, walkability, and sense of belonging that has defined Allied Gardens for decades.
For more information on the huAffordable Housing Master Plan, click here: https://www.sandiego.gov/planning/work/affordable-home-development-master-plan?fbclid=IwVERDUATgdrdwZG9mBWZkaWQWUL4ex99x_aS4-EXAuLO21u9xX1Lpt2V4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkCjY2Mjg1NjgzNzkAAR7tyjFyxJ8iEjx4yEdanVNhuy-Fb9FRhtUbC4w62QLleyKt5_zS0j8zARLwqw_aem_AneaAVCnVowOwAC-UwUi0A
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Petition created on August 5, 2026