A major City of San Diego construction project along 5th Avenue in Hillcrest is drawing mounting criticism from small business owners who say the work was launched with little to no advance notice, immediately crippling visibility, pedestrian access, and parking during one of the most important revenue periods of the year.
Much of the on-the-ground impact of the project has been documented directly by affected businesses themselves. A widely circulated video posted by Salon Savoir, a salon operating along the impacted stretch of 5th Avenue, shows the sudden installation of tall green fencing, narrowed sidewalks, and blocked sightlines that now separate storefronts from passing pedestrians and traffic.
The project, which stretches along a key commercial block between Pennsylvania and Brooks avenues, is now defined by an opaque green construction fence and K-rail barriers that effectively wall off businesses from the street. What was once a visible, walkable corridor of cafés, salons, restaurants, and neighborhood services has been transformed into a confusing and visually closed-off zone that many customers assume is inaccessible or shuttered altogether…