By Dan Plante / Yahoo News Fox-KUSI / October 7, 2026
It’s one of the oldest residential neighborhoods in Ocean Beach, with families going back generations.
But as it stands now, it’s also the latest target for developers to build a massive Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) farm adjacent to where a single-family home now sits on a hillside.
“Twelve units on a single-family property? It’s abuse,” said Ocean Beach resident Scott Martinez. [He was referring to the 4600 block of Del Mar Avenue.]
Like other neighborhood groups fighting for the character of their communities, the battle is on to stop this project before it’s too late.
“When we heard about the units that were becoming available, we said, wait a minute, 12 units on a small single-family property — there’s no way that can fit,” said resident Dr. Mike Sherer.
The house at the center of this issue was most recently a short-term rental. But now it’s on the market, listed by Colwell Banker, with a hefty price tag.
As part of the sales pitch, they’re promoting the approval of two ADUs in the backyard, which no one opposes.
But the pictures they display on their website tell a different story, with 12 tiny apartments lined up like Lego blocks in the home’s backyard.
“We started to look at the listing online, and it’s a $3 million listing, for that small house. I said, ‘Oh my gosh, that’s way more than it should be.’ So what makes it come up so much? Well, they want to propose building a 12-unit apartment complex so developers can make money. It’s greed,” said Sherer.
It’s not uncommon for homes in the area to have ADUs, also called ‘Granny Flats,’ in their backyards.
However, laws approved from Sacramento to San Diego have created loopholes that developers use to build multi-unit ADU projects.
“I’m not against ADUs. I don’t know anybody who’s against ADUs. We have them here, all around us. It’s the abuse that has everyone fired up, and it’s going to grow from here,” said Martinez.
The possibility of the project happening has resulted in the creation of yet another community activist group against a massive ADUs project in their neighborhood who want their voices heard.
“We’re looking into hiring an attorney and perhaps a consultant to help us understand the status of this and how we might stop it because I will do anything I can to make sure this doesn’t go through,” said resident Madonna Maxwell.
At this point, the property is still for sale, and there are no specific plans to start building an ADU farm anytime soon.
We reached out to the real estate agent listed on the property; he had no comment.
We’re now waiting to hear from the Limited Liability Company that owns the home for more details on why they are proposing this project in this spot.
Are Crosby and Bailey taking any stands on ADUs in CD2 ?
Sure, check out our posts on the candidates.