By Kate Callen
Civil litigation attorney Daniel Forde represents clients who willfully disrupt the lives of families in quiet residential neighborhoods.
Now he knows what that feels like.
On Sunday afternoon, Forde pulled into the driveway of his cul-de-sac home near Regents Road and Governor Drive to find a group of picketers chanting his name.
The protesters were from Neighbors for Encanto, and Forde will see them again when the City Council revisits the Bonus ADU (accessory dwelling unit) program on Tuesday, March 4.
Forde, a partner with Hoffman & Forde, was singled out by the Encanto activists as the face of predatory ADU development, the kind that rams dozens of market-rate units into small lots on narrow streets.
When the group accused him of blighting their community with monstrous ADU complexes, Forde proclaimed his innocence: “You’re talking to the wrong person. I don’t own any of those properties.”
When they asked why he sent a letter threatening the City Council for pushing back on Bonus ADUs, he said, “I’m an attorney. That’s what attorneys do.”
But Forde isn’t just an attorney. A Bizprofile listing shows him as the registered agent for 159 entities nestled under a legal umbrella called “Build Ur ADU LLC.” One of those entities is SMTM 1348 Tarbox St, LLC. That’s the address of a planned Encanto complex of 43 ADUs on a single-acre lot with no on-site parking.
Since San Diego began its hyper-aggressive Bonus ADU program in 2020, legions of speculators have looked to profit from small parcels in every corner of the city.
For years, the money has been easy and good. But the spigot may soon shut off because public outrage has goaded the City Council into finally taking action.
And Neighbors for Encanto, the newest community group fighting overdensity, was the catalyst for the breakthrough.
They pressured District 4 Councilmember Henry Foster III to address Footnote 7, a secretive code change that dramatically reduced minimum lot sizes – but only in neighborhoods in Southeastern San Diego.
On January 28, Foster persuaded his colleagues to repeal the footnote. Then he went further with a surprise motion that the Bonus ADU program, which exceeds the state’s ADU program, should be scrapped.
Except for the absent Sean Elo-Rivera, all Councilmembers voted Yes and gave city planners 60 days to come up with a plan of action.
Tuesday’s Council hearing is the day of reckoning, and the chamber will be packed. Neighbors of Encanto, dressed in yellow t-shirts, will turn out in force. They will be joined by their allies from Neighbors for a Better San Diego (NFABSD) and other groups.
NFABSD has led an extraordinary four-year campaign to demonstrate the harmful impacts of saturation density. In the process, they have provided guidance and support to the Encanto neighbors and other groups in communities across town.
In a statement over the weekend, NFABSD took an early and deserved victory lap:
“If the San Diego City Council takes this milestone action next week, it will be mainly because the consequences of unbridled development will now hit hardest in a traditionally underserved and underfunded neighborhood, where the damage done by these multi-unit apartments raises equity and fairness issues our city council can no longer ignore.”
“Regardless of what happens at Tuesday’s council meeting, the public comment and council discussion will be a watershed event on an issue of local, state and national importance in the debate over high-density infill housing.”
If you plan on attending the meeting, get there early for a seat, and wear a yellow t-shirt.
GREAT column as always,Kate. Keep up the great work. How long before recalls possible for the Mayor etc.?
Excellent Kate. Hopefully the City Council Reps, WILL represent their constituents. Good luck to all residents of SD that will be in attendance!!
Interesting. He lives in the University City suburb of San Diego though.
Sorry about the headline miss.
Great Article.
I would like the media to always include the risks to the lives of District 4 residents with building these ADU’s and infill housing on narrow streets with shortage of fire hydrants in Very High Fire Zones. District 4 has had a a shortage of Fire Stations, for decades Station #52 is still awaiting funding; the majority of the 1300 homes in the Jamacha Neighborhood range from 800sq ft to 1500 sq ft. Most are built between 1950-1980, and burn to the ground in minutes!! It’s dangerous reducing the 8ft setback to only a 4ft setback increasing the likely of fires from other homes so close.
The 2015 Emergency Evacuation is evidence of the danger which is far worse 10 years later with the horrible sexy street bike plan removing traffic lanes as well as parking.
Please also note that these ADUs are being built without complying with ADA, and no fire sprinkler safety that is always included in apartments.
Hello – Thank you for running this story. I was at the Encanto meeting tonight, and I’ve been preseent at the previous Encanto Meetings. I was rudely interrupted by Joe Lacava during my Public Comment, and when I got home tonight, I found absolute evidence of the very topic I was discussixng, and he tried preventing me from sharing. This in addition to the mountains of evidence beyond a reasonable doubt, supporting my comments, in the form of valid 460 forms from the SD Registrar website, clearly showing the payments I talk about below. This Encanto project, as well as several other projects, stink. Bad.
Dear Mr. Lacava,
I don’t appreciate you telling me I was being disrespectful while speaking to the community about the facts. The facts are that Todd Gloria was very reputably reported for Money Laundering while Assembly Member in 2019, and instead of investigating and prosecuting the case which had evidence beyond a reasonable doubt provided by an attorney; Stephan ignored the crimes taking place and ensured Gloria could become Mayor. Stephan has indeed been paid millions of dollars via various PACs all within the building, land use, and development as well as infrastructure. Todd Gloria is the highest paid Mayor in the history of the world. And tonight, when I got home, feeling a terrible headache and awful inside because you once again took aim at me, tried to shame me, and blatantly tried to prevent the public from learning the truth; I found 11 payments from Charles Schmid to Summer Stephan in 2025. Charles Schmid is the CEO of Chelsea Investments,.
Missing $24B Homeless Funding > Hundreds of Millions of Dollars Spent on SD Affordable Housing Projects > Money Paid to Chelsea Investments > Chelsea Investments based in Caymen Islands > Mailing Address is in Carlsbad > Mailing Address is owned by “13th and Broadway CICLP” > 13th and Broadway CICLP is a Shell Company formed by the Chealsea Investment Corporation > In October 2016, the Carlsbad Mailing Address was sold for $3.15M > November 2023 it is worth $68M???? THE LENDER IS THE “SAN DIEGO HOUSING AUTHORITY” – Is the SD Housing Authority a Bank?
Mr. Lacava, please do not disrespect me by underestimating my intelligence, and do not disrespect the community by covering up for the RICO Enterprise that you appear to be a part of. While I realize you believe you’re in a position of Power, and authority. I must remind you that you work for me, and the community, and the city of San Diego. And I both expect and demand you take this information, which you can not unsee, and ensure the appropriate measures are taken to remove Todd Gloria and Summer Stephan from office, and immediately put an end to this RICO enterprise taking place directly in front of you.
https://www.sdbj.com/real-estate/chelsea-investment-ceo-is-quiet-giant/
https://www.reddit.com/r/sandiego/comments/1hhjuum/san_diegos_mayor_todd_gloria_has_got_some/
San Diego County Gun Owners PAC 460 Recipient Committee Campaign Statement 07/12/2025 1/1/2025 – 6/30/2025 Charles Schmid Monetary Contributions Received 03/07/2025 10.00
San Diego County Gun Owners PAC 460 Recipient Committee Campaign Statement 07/12/2025 1/1/2025 – 6/30/2025 Charles Schmid Monetary Contributions Received 03/15/2025 10.00
San Diego County Gun Owners PAC 460 Recipient Committee Campaign Statement 07/12/2025 1/1/2025 – 6/30/2025 Charles Schmid Monetary Contributions Received 04/15/2025 10.00
San Diego County Gun Owners PAC 460 Recipient Committee Campaign Statement 07/12/2025 1/1/2025 – 6/30/2025 Charles Schmid Monetary Contributions Received 05/07/2025 10.00
San Diego County Gun Owners PAC 460 Recipient Committee Campaign Statement 07/12/2025 1/1/2025 – 6/30/2025 Charles Schmid Monetary Contributions Received 06/07/2025 10.00
San Diego County Gun Owners PAC 460 Recipient Committee Campaign Statement 07/12/2025 1/1/2025 – 6/30/2025 Charles Schmid Monetary Contributions Received 02/07/2025 10.00
San Diego County Gun Owners PAC 460 Recipient Committee Campaign Statement 07/12/2025 1/1/2025 – 6/30/2025 Charles Schmid Monetary Contributions Received 04/07/2025 10.00
San Diego County Gun Owners PAC 460 Recipient Committee Campaign Statement 07/12/2025 1/1/2025 – 6/30/2025 Charles Schmid Monetary Contributions Received 06/15/2025 10.00
San Diego County Gun Owners PAC 460 Recipient Committee Campaign Statement 07/12/2025 1/1/2025 – 6/30/2025 Charles Schmid Monetary Contributions Received 01/07/2025 10.00
San Diego County Gun Owners PAC 460 Recipient Committee Campaign Statement 07/12/2025 1/1/2025 – 6/30/2025 Charles Schmid Monetary Contributions Received 02/15/2025 10.00
San Diego County Gun Owners PAC 460 Recipient Committee Campaign Statement 07/12/2025 1/1/2025 – 6/30/2025 Charles Schmid Monetary Contributions Received 01/15/2025 10.00
San Diego County Gun Owners PAC 460 Recipient Committee Campaign Statement 07/12/2025 1/1/2025 – 6/30/2025 Charles Schmid Monetary Contributions Received 05/15/2025 10.00