Takeaways from ADU Turning Point Hearing, Part 2

By Kate Callen

These excerpts from public testimony at the May 1 San Diego Planning Commission meeting convey the human toll on communities where Bonus ADU abuses are rampant. (See Part 1 here)

Eric Becerra, Encanto:

 One developer is making land more expensive. Lots that were $600,000 to $800,000 are now $1.2 million. They don’t care about the house. They want to fit in as many ADUs as they can. And they’re [preying on] the elderly. They see who has been here a long time, and they offer them a million dollars. Then they dwindle it down and give them nothing.

Our elderly neighbor was crying, “What am I gonna do? They still haven’t given me the money, and I’m already moved out. They told me to move out at this date.” Have you guys seen your elderly neighbors crying because they got bamboozled out of their homes?

Sky Feuer, Clairemont:

I contacted Developmental Services about evacuation protocols for a lot with 18 residences at the end of a narrow cul-de-sac. Multiple DSD departments explained why no formal fire review had been triggered but acknowledged that I, quote, “raised some good points.” A formal fire safety analysis was only added to the review process when I personally contacted the Fire Marshal.

The Deputy Fire Marshal said, quote, “The Fire Department is in a challenging position, given the push for additional housing. But I can confidently say that the first alarm units will be at an incident location very quickly and work aggressively.” Responding to evacuation concerns with, “Don’t worry, the Fire Department is good at its job” is unacceptable. And this city put them in that position.

Gail Viamonte, Kensington:

The opportunity for individuals and families to rent and/or purchase affordable housing is being sold out. The Bonus ADU program provides incentives for investors to overbid for properties and shut out individuals and families.

The mayor’s amendments do not address the major flaws of the Bonus ADU program. By the time one removes the exceptions and untangles the allowances, the amendments do little. The deck would still be stacked. We want affordable housing. We want individuals and families to rent, buy, and own their living spaces and not be dependent on investors who control access and rental and purchase price.

Martha Abraham, Emerald Hills:

The Bonus ADU program disproportionately affects the same neighborhoods harmed by the now-repealed Footnote 7. Encanto and Emerald Hills have over 700 units proposed. We are invisible in these numbers, but we live with the consequences. This is not responsible planning. It’s exclusion by design.

Today I ask for accountability. I ask for courage. I ask this Commission to move beyond empty reform and make a real commitment to equity. Stop placing the burden of the housing crisis on the same communities that have carried it for generations. We are not asking for special treatment. We are asking for fair treatment.

Angela Guzy, Linda Vista:

We live in a cul-de-sac with four homes. [A developer] is trying to put eight 2-story duplexes there. That means 16 ADU units. Everybody said that if you’re in an RS-1-7 zone, you’re less than 5,000 square feet. The house across the street from me is 19,000 square feet.

There are five street parking spaces in our cul-de-sac – one single ingress, one single egress. We were less than a half-mile from the fire on Friars Road. What if that came up Ulric Steet? There are 20 investment [ADU] properties going on in Linda Vista alone. And it’s all by one developer.

Sonia Freeman, Hamish Neighborhood Council:

We are opposing the project on 1441 Woodrow Avenue. We are flabbergasted that the Developmental Services Department (DSD) approved the application. Does everybody see the house on that screen? The application says the lot is vacant. These developers know the Planning Department and DSD are not even glancing at the applications. It says there’s been no home there for over 40 years. This home was built in 1945.

This will be a 12-unit project on a two-lane street. Do you think you’re going to put a dumpster in the front yard of these properties? Do you think a 4-foot walkway is going to hold 36 garbage cans?

Larry Webb, Mission Beach:

We currently have a density level of 36 units per acre. If 80 ADUs are allowed, the resulting density could be as high as 55 to 72 units per acre. We do not currently meet emergency ingress and egress standards. Public safety will further be compromised for everyone who visits Mission Beach.

Regarding coastal resilience, there is a master plan to realign or reallocate assets out of hazard areas and limit new development in vulnerable areas. Given its topography, Mission Beach is the most vulnerable to sea level rise. Permitting ADUs will intensify not minimize the risks. Why add units to an area required to have a retreat/relocation plan?

A final quote from Terrell Quintana, Clairemont:

 I’m just a little tired right now. It’s distressing to hear everyone else’s stories. It really is. I’ve seen these places going up everywhere. We just hope the City Council will start looking at this plan and do something that’s right.