SANTEE – After two hours of sometimes heated testimony Wednesday night, the Santee City Council approved a large senior housing complex at the base of Rattlesnake Mountain that some said would exacerbate traffic in an already congested area.

The council voted 3-0 to approve the 360-unit project, called Lantern Crest, in the southeastern Santee. The development will include buildings up to four stories tall – the highest in the city – and will wrap around a side of the mountain.

Councilmen Jack Dale and Hal Ryan both excused themselves from the dais when the item came up, saying they each had conflicts of interest. Councilman Brian Jones cast a vote in favor. He said the project would fill a need in Santee.

He also said the project would “elevate the perception of Santee in the region.”

One speaker had questioned whether Jones also had a conflict of interest because of campaign contributions he received from the developer of the project in his congressional bid this year. Jones responded by saying that he thought the meeting was an “illegitimate” place to raise the issue, but welcomed the speaker to contact him.

The main developer is Michael Grant of Santee-based Development Contractor, Inc. Grant made at least one contribution to Jones in his run for the 52nd District in June.

Petitions, e-mails and letters had come into City Hall in recent days on either side, with more in favor of the project.

Speakers supporting the development also talked of the need for senior housing in Santee. Many of those in opposition described concerns over traffic and the proximity of the project to Gillespie Field in El Cajon.