Neighbors for a Better Pacific Beach says the city allows developers to change the face of the community without any public input.
By Dorian Hargrove/ CBS8 / September 18, 2025
The city of San Diego will soon have to defend its ADU program in court.
A Pacific Beach community group, Neighbors for a Better Pacific Beach, filed a newly amended complaint Thursday, Sept. 18, against the city, claiming the law has paved the way for unchecked, unbridled development and environmental harm in San Diego neighborhoods.
Their lawsuit now seeks to overturn the city’s ADU program, limit the number of new units in single-family zones, and require public input for larger ADU projects.
Originally filed on Aug. 15, amended to challenge projects citywide, claims city staff are unlawfully fast-tracking dozens of dense, apartment-style ADU projects without any environmental review or public notice.
Specifically, the lawsuit challenges the city’s Bonus ADU Program, which allows property owners to build more than one granny flat as long as one of the rents is priced below market-rate.
State law allows for one or two ADUs per lot, but San Diego’s ordinance, according to the lawsuit, fails to limit the number of ADUs, opening the door to multi-story developments. Some plans feature as many as 151 ADUs in single-family neighborhoods.
“By skipping environmental review, officials are approving projects that threaten sensitive hillsides, cultural sites and public safety,” reads the amended complaint.
In August, the group’s lawsuit initially focused on the “Chalcifica” project, a 134-unit ADU proposal on Pacifica Drive in Pacific Beach.
With a wider reach, the group seeks to overturn all similar-sized projects across the city, thus forcing the city to revamp the ADU program.
One of the most significant changes proposed in the lawsuit is to change the approval process. Under the current program, city staff can approve a project without any public input or environmental review.
City officials have defended the bonus ADU policy as a necessary response to San Diego’s housing shortage and lack of affordability.
A city spokesperson declined to comment on the amended complaint due to pending litigation.
Postscript: Merv Thompson, the leader of the PB group that filed the lawsuit, wants it completely clear that the news report on Sunday night was not completely accurate and the amended lawsuit included new names on his complaint and allowed for a fresh review of the complaint.
I am so happy to see Dorian Hargrove’s name on an article – he was one of the first, if not the first, to see and say that the City is not quite what it seems to be! Thank you to the OBRag.org and Welcome, Dorian!