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The developer of the proposed Quarry Falls project, which would transform the working quarry between Mission Valley and Serra Mesa into a mixed-use commercial and residential village, has run headlong into an unusual NIMBY: fellow developer H.G. Fenton Development Co.
The acronym for "not in my backyard" is often used to describe anti-growth residents; rarely a developer.
The backer of Quarry Falls, Sudberry Properties Inc., has been pitching its plan since 2002 to community groups, business associations and policymakers, and therefore was caught a little off-guard when Fenton informed them recently that the company opposed the project.
Fenton, which is a major property owner and developer in Mission Valley, hired a public relations firm that launched a grass-roots style campaign in April to generate opposition to the project.
The group, "San Diegans for Responsible Planning," has spoken at community planning groups and has issued a release claiming to represent a coalition against Quarry Falls.
"I know we have over 100 signatures on the petition against the current form of Quarry Falls," said spokeswoman Katie Keach, who says the group makes no secret of its affiliation with Fenton, its sole benefactor.