A man walks into National City City Hall on June 2, 2025. (Philip Salata/inewsource)

National City’s skyline might be about to grow.

At their July 21 meeting, the National City Planning Commission began the process of reforming the city’s zoning code to allow four story buildings in some mixed-use areas.

Under current zoning rules in National City, three story buildings under 50 feet tall can be built in medium-density mixed-use areas — and while the reform doesn’t nix the 50-foot cap, it permits four story buildings.

The planning commission unanimously passed the motion.

According to the documenter’s report, developers of a 120-unit housing project planned at the Manolo Farmers Market in National City voiced their support for the zoning change.

One of the owners of Manolo’s Market in National City, Chris Dallo, said the development planned on his property will revitalize National City.

“We believe that more housing means more opportunity not just for our market, but for local businesses,” Dallo said.

Andrew Regenberg, a representative from Gafcon, the real estate developer partnering with Dallo, said the issue with a three story cap in mixed-use zoning is that it restricts the number of units that can be built.

“50 feet is well within our building height,” Regenberg said. “We’re actually at 45 feet and have four stories.”

Planning commission chair Richard Miller said National City really can’t grow anywhere except up.

“The only opportunities for annexation are already developed,” Miller said. “This city is not like Chula Vista, or Oceanside, Santee, El Cajon — where there are opportunities to annex significant areas of undeveloped land.”

Areas of National City zoned as minor mixed-use areas — MXC-1 and MXD-1 zones — are impacted by the reforms.

According to National City’s zoning map, stretches of 8th Street and East 18th Street inland from I-805 are zoned as minor-mixed use areas, as well as Highland Avenue north of 7th Street and pockets of the city’s southeast.

This story was written with the notes of San Diego Documenter Matthew Miuccio. The San Diego Documenters are a part of a national program in which citizen journalists report on public meetings.