San Diego

Angry Talmadge area residents stormed out of a San Diego City Council meeting Tuesday after council members unanimously turned down their appeal to prevent construction of a 131-unit apartment complex in their residential neighborhood.

Despite adding parking and landscaping requirements for the Kensington Garden Apartments, the council failed to appease residents of the Mid-City neighborhood who argued that the multifamily project does not belong in their quiet neighborhood.

Residents appealed the approval of the project by the city Planning Commission, which, in turn, held up the decision of the city planning director that the apartment complex met the zoning requirements and conformed to the 1986 Mid-City Community Plan.

The $9.5-million project is to be built between Fairmount Avenue and 44th Street, and between Meade and Monroe streets.

The residents contended that the high-density development would overcrowd neighborhood schools, add to parking and traffic congestion, overload sewers and destroy the character of the neighborhood.