Editordude: Here’s a brief summary of yesterday’s city council hearing from Neighbors for a Better San Diego.
From Neighbors for a Better San Diego
TBD…
An internal memo by the Planning Department — distributed to Councilmembers on Friday but not shared with the public — changed Council direction on the Bonus ADU program. We won’t know what we got yesterday until the Planning Department comes back with concrete details on how they are going to implement the Council’s motion.
The Council Chambers were completely packed, mostly with people wearing yellow supporting the repeal of the Bonus ADU program. Many people spoke to how the Bonus ADU program has affected their lives personally.
Here is a link to the full meeting. The Bonus ADU item starts around the 2:10:00 mark with a forceful presentation by Councilmember Foster’s staff.
After hours of testimony — and at times some fiery debate by Councilmembers — here was the final motion:
The first part of the motion asks the Planning Department to come back with recommendations within 90 days to remove the Bonus ADU program from certain single-family residential zones, including RS-1-2 zoning that includes parts of Encanto.
We’re still analyzing the impact of this part of the motion, which depends on how zones overlay on the Sustainable Development Area (SDA) map.
However, we know most of San Diego’s single-family parcels are NOT covered by the first part of the motion. The second part of the motion, which was driven by the Planning Department’s internal memo, promises to address issues with the Bonus ADU program in the next Land Development Code update, which is due later this year. Until we see the details of what the Planning Department is proposing, we won’t know whether the proposed changes are cosmetic or substantial.
We stayed until the very end of the meeting to let Council know that Planning Director Heidi Vonblum’s memo, which heavily influenced the Council’s decision, was only made available to the public during the meeting, even though it was circulated to the Councilmembers on Friday.
Addressing the information in this memo would have been our main focus had we known in advance that it would be used to persuade the Council.
It was clear that the Council is not satisfied with the Bonus ADU program and would like further changes. Stay tuned… More details to follow.
Neighbors fBSD also mentioned: “over 1000 people submitted comments in favor of the motion to reform the Bonus ADU program.”
it is my understanding that the room was full and overflowed to 2 other rooms. Zoom was full at 500 with requests to sign off & watch on TV if you didnt want to comment. I know I submitted written comment.
Our local small businesses, originally zoned to support the new families moving into the properties just exempted from the ADU “bonuses, are next in line under Complete Communities. Keep in mind that these are the target properties, particularly if the voter-approved Coastal Height Limit is overturned. There is no way our local Ice Cream Parlor can stand up to the type of Development we will still see in Golden Hills from:
1/1/2025 “Chicago-based developer CEDARst™ Companies announced that it has secured $40 million in equity capital, led by its joint venture partner, Bridge Investment Group, for a new multifamily ground-up development project in San Diego. … The new residential community, known as Flats South Park, is a $90 million, 180-unit development located at 2935-2961 A Street in the South Park neighborhood of San Diego, two blocks from Balboa Park.” $90 Million?
The proposal to stop Bonus ADUs leaves out the large RS 1-7 properties in San Diego, Most of OB above Guizot, the vast majority of Pt. Loma, Claremont, Mira Mesa, Rancho Penesquitos, Rancho Bernardo, Mission Hills, a large area east of Balboa Park, etc., etc.
I was there for five grueling hours… finally had to leave before 3pm. There was No mention of an alternative plan that I could have studied as I sat there for 5 hours. No one compels this city to provide the transparency that our city keeps claiming it provides. They work for their own reelection and large donors, not for their constituents .
Dear readers – I’m under the weather these days and was only inspired to post that photo of Rep. Al Green today.