Dear KPBS:
This communication is to express my extreme shock and dismay at KPBS writer Andrew Bowen’s highly misleading reporting from Thursday, May 22, regarding the mayor’s proposed modifications to the city’s Bonus ADU Program.
His statements about Gloria’s proposal “blocking housing in San Diego’s whitest, wealthiest neighborhoods” add up to the most ignorant and infuriating news story I’ve heard to date on KPBS. As a devoted listener and contributor to your station for many years, I question whether I want to support your station in the future, given Andrew Bowen’s consistent biased news reporting.
The modifications to the ADU program are badly needed not merely to address “homeowners seeing it as an attack on neighborhood character,” but rather to:
1) apply the Bonus ADU Program citywide to allow no more than three ADUs on any single-family parcel in San Diego, which would put every residential single-family zoned parcel on equal footing and give every homeowner a clear expectation of what can be built on their neighbor’s property;
2) require a four-foot side and rear setback from neighboring properties, per State law;
3) restrict ADUs to two stories, per State law; and limit the height of new detached ADUs to 16-18 feet in height, and attached ADUs to 25 feet, per State law.
We are seeing rents for ADUs in San Diego exceeding $5,000/month (we have such a unit on my block,) which does little to address the city’s affordable housing crisis. Rather, the program is being abused by developers/investors in order to realize huge profits.
As it stands, the Bonus ADU Program is allowing huge apartment complexes with as many as 12, 17 and, in the case of Encanto, 141 units. They are causing parking and congestion problems, wildfire concerns with so many being built on the edges of canyons, and clogging evacuation routes for residents in the area.
In University City, we are fighting two nine-unit ADU Bonus projects on single-family lots that abut one another, half of them in a cul-de-sac that lacks street parking, next door to Curie Elementary School where traffic backs up morning and afternoon with parents dropping off and picking up their children, and in a high-risk fire zone with restricted evacuation routes. It’s another disaster waiting to happen.
I am requesting that KPBS run a correction and extend an apology to the many homeowners who are experiencing the horrors of a Bonus ADU project being built next door to them. To them, this news story was like a slap in the face.
Sincerely, Bonnie Kutch
Bonnie Kutch is the chair of UC Peeps, a member of the Coordinating Committee of San Diego Community Coalition and a resident of University City.
Bowen is a huge YIMBY and in my opinion, not a good fit at KPBS. He’d be more suited as a spokesperson for a greedy developer than to pretend he’s an unbiased reporter.
I believe only one ADU should be allowed on a parcel, if we really want to keep the integrity of the single family home neighborhoods. Anything more erodes the quality and lifestyle. This whole lie starting in Sacramento, is pushing an impossible mandate onto cities statewide and ultimately onto homeowners, creating an unfair bias with renters. There is such a thing as limited supply. The city counsel have taken the easy route of pushing higher density onto our neighborhoods throughout San Diego.
We are already feeling the effect.
After the City Council committee meeting in late January where Henry Foster called for the elimination of the bonus ADU policy, Bowen quickly ran a story in its defense.
Part of Bowen’s coverage centered on an interview with someone living in an ADU and how happy they were. Nothing in the story addressed how much they were paying in rent or anything else that made their story newsworthy other than they lived in an ADU and were happy.
I wrote KPBS management asking what was the news value about someone being happy where they lived whether it be an apartment, house or ADU? And why were they allowing Bowen to overtly advocate his personal beliefs in what is being presented as local news coverage?
To date I have not received a response and I have stopped donating to KPBS.
I can’t count the number of times I’ve sent emails to KPBS about Bowen’s pieces. Routinely full of errors, distortions, and his strong bias. Doesn’t matter what he’s covering, if one either knows the subject or looks into it on one’s own, it’s astonishing what he gets away with.
Since it has turned into a perfunctory exercise, the last time I wrote I simply stated: Please label his pieces as op-eds.
As to this piece in question, labeling census tracts as “Opportunity Hoarders” is classic Bowen. I understand he didn’t coin it, and the map sources from the State of CA Racially Concentrated Areas of Affluence (RCAA) map, but, I find it obnoxious to turn a data point into a pejorative targeting neighborhoods. I don’t live in one, but next time I visit someone who does, I’ll be sure to dress them down for actively hoarding opportunity from the rest of us.
For those wondering, this is the definition of an RCAA:
“Racially Concentrated Areas of Affluence (RCAA): Census tracts where the
concentration of White, Non-Hispanic households and the median household
income are both higher than the regional average.”
Do you think it is a leap from that to being labeled as actively hoarding opportunity? I do. It’s one thing to use data to understand conditions. It’s something else to weaponize it.
I haven’t ended my donations to KPBS, because there other worthwhile things to me, but I have come close due to Bowen.
“blocking housing in San Diego’s whitest, wealthiest neighborhoods”
That alone says a lot as far as how biased that report is. Playing a race and economic card at the same time.
Andrew Bowen doesn’t know anything about University City yet he repeats the position of the mayor that UC is one of the wealthiest, whitest neighborhoods in San Diego. That statement came as a complete surprise to my Hispanic and Pakistani neighbors.
I totally agree with Bonnie Kutch. As a long time member of KPBS I am considering cancelling my support also.
Thank you. I wrote to KPBS about his biased reporting in a former article earlier this year.. I got back an ‘I m not biased’ note from him …but nothing from KPBS. Thanks to your note today…I will rewrite KPBS and reiterate my complaint.
Andrew Bowen, at bottom, is a racist. His claim that only white people are affected is itself a racist statement as it assumes that only white people live in single-family residences.
Frank, first off nice name, second, he never said only white people live in single-family residences. Where did he say that? I am trying to find that claim and read this kbps article and can not find it.
FC – If you haven’t read the article, how do you know he didn’t say that? Try the headline of “Gloria’s ADU proposal would block housing in San Diego’s whitest, wealthiest neighborhoods” and the link to Bowens article is in the first paragraph of Bonnies’ piece.
FG – I have now read the article but he never said only white people live in single family homes. The headline “Gloria’s ADU proposal would block housing in San Diego’s whitest, wealthiest neighborhoods” doesnt say that only white people live in single family homes.
Dude, you’re trying way too hard to be literal here, so you can lambast me. What is the implication and the assumptions of the article? The point is that Bowen is known to be an extreme YIMBY and a basic assumption among YIMBYs is that single family residential neighborhoods are white and wealthy, therefore, any blocks to ADUs are racist and classist. They totally ignore that many single family residential neighborhoods are African-American and Latino. They — including Bowen — make a racist assumption that only white neighborhoods want to keep out high density and keep their character.
I’m sorry if I sounded annoying, I just thought he literally said “only white people are affected” and if I ran the search function on my computer that would pop up. Also I am an ally and have a neighbors for a better san diego sign in my front yard, and have lived here for many years. But no where in that article did he say only white people are affected, I will however eat my words if you can find me a specific quote where he says only white people are affected.
KPBS should stand or sink on its own merit. It should not be subsidized by the taxpayer through the Federal government or any governmental entity. Subsidizing “news organizations/businesses” is NOT the
proper province of government.
If you wish to give KPBS your ongoing support, more power to you; I stopped many years ago.
Much thanks to Bonnie Kutch ( and the other thoughtful, honest comments) for her reasoned response to the deleterious effects of the increased density bonuses which are DESIGNED to destroy the single family neighborhoods, no matter how it is couched (presented). To make this a racial matter is the standard leftist ploy designed to shut you up.
There is a best selling book for the ages that teaches “ the Truth shall set you free.” I hope you all have a copy of it.
Excellent article and comments! I was in a City Council meeting one day when the ADU issue was presented, re: the distance people would have to walk to a bus stop. Would it be 1 miles or 1/2 mile. Council woman vonWilpert said basically she didn’t have to worry about locations of ADU’s and bus stops, because no buses were routed thru her neighborhoods. Meaning no ADU’s would be built in her Council Dist. 5, being; Black Mountain Ranch, Carmel Mountain Ranch, Miramar Ranch North, Rancho Bernardo, Rancho Peñasquitos, Sabre Springs, San Pasqual, Scripps Ranch and Torrey Highlands. How many of the Council Districts don’t have any ADU’s, and what is the explanation for why not? Are ADU’s being built in LaJolla and 4S Ranch areas, and other affluent areas? If no, why not?
Lol, easy! Because they are already rich and don’ t need the extra income and want to maintain their exclusive privacy.
Andrew Bowen ought to work for Todd Gloria and soon!
We disagree with his perspective and will never vote for Todd
Gloria for any political officer. We may cancel our donation to
KPBS.
I’m a San Diego native, been here all my life and it is so sad watching single family homes demolished to put multi units nobody will live in long.
When I heard on KPBS how they framed the ADU situation my jaw dropped, making it a racial problem not a neighborhood problem.
Get more balanced reporting…
The only thing that will get through to KPBS is a significant drop in financial support. That’s a hard decision if you have always believed in the value of public broadcasting. It was a hard decision for me. But KPBS’s refusal to curb Bowen’s distorted coverage is indefensible. He is a young zealot driven by anger. Station management doesn’t have that excuse. KPBS has become an embarrassment to San Diego. The best way to let them know is to stop sending them money.
BS. The entire reason this even came back for consideration is because of the massive ADU apartment projects happening in Encanto. Which is of course where all the rich white people live right?
Old white homeowners have been bitching about ADU and upzoning for a decade now. Nobody listens to them or gives a shit. They’re just entitled nimbys that oppose everything, had their life handed to them on a platter and deserve nothing, right?
It was Encanto and Henry Foster that brought this under scrutiny.
Also, the mayor’s proposed revisions were weaksauce that would not have restricted these massive apartment projects with no parking. He didn’t want to restrict it on any the RS-1-7 zone that covers most of white suburbia.
Here is a map of ADU permits across the city. Keep in mind each dot might be 1 ADU or 100 ADUs. There are many in every district.
https://sandiego.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=e0b23e5b576842e8b799cf0248c3e125
Bowen, is an avid cyclist, who imagined and wrote some VERY creative stories about the parking removal on 30th. ST. and installation of bike lanes and how wonderful they were, as the businesses closed (32) between Juniper and Adams Ave., a few years ago. The businesses, some long established, said the reason for their closure, was their customers could not find parking and went elsewhere. A total of 402 out of 505 parking spaces were removed, per Everett Hauser’s email. He also said skilled cyclists won’t use the bike lanes because they’re too slow. DMV says so long as they can maintain the posted speed limit, they can ride with the traffic. Everyone including Hauser know the bike counter on 30th. is inaccurate. Channel 10’s Brian White filmed a Brinks truck pulling up at the curb on 30th., in the bike lane, and the counter counted it as 3 bikes. Point is the protected bike lanes easily could have been installed 2 blocks west on Utah St., where there were existing bike lanes, parking for the residents at the curb, wider street, no businesses between Juniper and University, and mostly apts. between University and El Cajon Blvd. AND a whole lot cheaper for the Mayor. Common sense didn’t play as a factor for Hauser, Heidi vonBlum, Todd Gloria, OR Andrew Bowen as he praised and promoted his opinion in the Voice. He didn’t print what Chris Cartier (sp?) from SANDAG, who I was told lives in North Park, and he rode his bike from downtown to the meeting in NP said in a meeting, when asked why the bike lanes couldn’t be put on Utah, his reply was, after much thought said, “there’s nothing to look at” on Utah. Bowen would serve the Voice newspaper well if he’d stop writing his biased opinions on tax payer/constituents revenue producing “hot topics”.
Thank you Ms. Kutch. I have also contacted KPBS several times to point out Andrew Bowen’s one-sided story-telling, which is most certainly NOT journalism. He is an advocate and glosses over real world concerns so that the concrete pourers who fund Circulate San Diego can make more money. I stopped donating too.
Take a look at his side project, North Parking that shows parked cars blocking crosswalks, sidewalks, etc. That phenomenon is a direct result of eliminating street parking in new housing projects and for bike lanes while crowding in new residents and their cars, which he vigorously advocates for. While he completely fails to see the linear connection.
KPBS has some great reporters. Bowen is not one of them – and his presence there drags the station’s reputation down.