Category: San Diego

By Lynne Miller

We are not alone!  We are in fact, quite a herd!  Until the May 1 meeting I felt the local residents were powerless in the face of new ‘solutions’ like Complete Communities, ADUs, and the runaway Bonus ADU program.

I was wrong!

I listened to people speak who represented neighborhoods all over San Diego.  More importantly the Planning Commission (who are all seated/appointed by the Mayor and City Council) listened! Finally, San Diego voices were heard!  A little late?  Sure!  But I was so thankful and impressed with the San Diego voices, which repeated in unique presentations saying: “Stop the Bonus ADU Program, at least change it.   This commission and  the Mayor and city council are ruining neighborhoods all over San Diego.”

I hope you had a chance to attend in person or on Zoom the May 1 Planning Commission Hearing!  No better show is streaming on Netflix! 

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.

Will stand up to Trump’s attacks and push for CA & local climate action

On May 3, 2025, San Diegans will rally and march in downtown San Diego for climate action, for justice, and for a sustainable future.

Marchers will stand up to Trump’s efforts to rollback climate protections, boost fossil fuel extraction, illegally dismiss federal workers, and retract funding for renewable energy and climate projects. The march will offer a vision for a healthy and sustainable future, with clean air and water, and a just economy – with good-paying green jobs and putting people before polluters.

WHAT: demonstrators will rally, march in unity, and enjoy live music, organization info booths, inspiring speakers, face painting and more!

WHEN: Saturday, May 3, 2025. Org tables, kid zone and music begin 10:15. Program, including speakers and live music, 11am-12pm. March 12-1:30pm. Program info

WHERE: Starting on the west side of Waterfront Park, 1600 Pacific Hwy, San Diego, CA, 92101and marching on a <2 mile route in downtown San Diego.

By Kate Callen

In a packed May 1 five-hour meeting, three San Diego Planning Commissioners refused to rubber-stamp Mayor Todd Gloria’s slippery revisions to his Bonus ADU program. Their unexpected show of independence marked a turning point in the 4-year battle to stop predatory developers from unleashing more hell in neighborhoods across San Diego.

The Commission officially voted 5-0 to endorse the Bonus ADU amendments proposed by the Planning Department. Our ever-brazen mayor quickly declared victory in a press release: “Gloria Administration’s ADU Program Reforms Advance to Land Use & Housing Committee.”

Not so fast, Mr. Mayor. Yes, the “reforms” will be on the agenda at the committee’s May 15 meeting. But they will be wrapped in caveats and choices.

The three board mavericks, led by Kenneth Malbrough, would not support a blanket approval motion from Ted Miyahara. At their insistence, the Planning Department must present more options for critical ADU specifics: number of units, height limits, and floor-area ratio density.

The same city planners who concocted Gloria’s “reforms” will reshuffle the package before it goes to the Council. But now they’ll be running into a headwind.

An astonishing community turnout at the hearing, and tough questions from frustrated commissioners, may signal that City Hall’s YIMBY hegemony has crested. Some takeaways:

Community Activists Are Upping Their Game

*Every Saturday at 10:30 am. San Diego Climate Mobilization Coalition Meetings May 3rd, 10th, 17th, 24th and 31st.

*Every Saturday 10 am – 12 pm Peace Vigil for Palestine:

*May 3rd Saturday 10 am – 2 pm  Missing and Murdered Indigenous People Summit  

*May 3rd Saturday  Walk for the Animals

*May 3rd. Saturday 11 am – 2 pm Unite for Climate: Fight for our Future! Fight for Justice!

*May 3rd Saturday 3 pm Nationwide Trader Joe’s Protest:

* May 3rd Saturday 5pm – 8 pm Roots of Resilience – Charity Gala

* May 4th Sunday 9 am – 3 pm Border BioBlitz Community Day Event by San Diego Natural History Museum 

Upwards of a thousand San Diegans rallied and marched on Thursday, May 1, for International Workers Day, shining light on a number of local unions involved in fights with management and on the contributions by immigrants to the nation. They rallied in Hillcrest, Balboa Park, at Chicano Park and at the Waterfront Park at the bay.

Nearly a 1,000 demonstrators marched in the morning through the streets from UC San Diego Hillcrest Medical Center to Balboa Park. Later in the day at Waterfront Park, dozens protested and then at night, hundreds rallied at Chicano Park.

Demonstrations occurred across the country — and the world in honor of workers.

The U-T reported:

At the hospital in Hillcrest, hundreds of UC San Diego Health system employees — including tech support specialists, pharmacists and patient ambassadors — gathered around 10 a.m. near the hospital’s entrance to demand better pay and work conditions during a one-day strike.

Editordude: We repost David Garrick’s account of yesterday’s important Planning Commission hearing on reforms to San Diego’s ADU program because it accurately reflects the response by the commissioners, although it totally downplays the role that citizens and community groups played in getting the Commission to consider the reforms. Stay tuned for more on this from the Rag.

By David Garrick / San Diego Union-Tribune / May 1-2, 2025

The San Diego Planning Commission harshly criticized a controversial city incentive for backyard apartments Thursday and said reforms were needed to stop the incentive from damaging neighborhood character.

The commission voted unanimously to recommend a two-story cap for all new backyard apartments — also called accessory dwelling units, or ADUs — and directed city officials to explore three other specific options in an effort to shrink the homes’ impact on neighborhoods.

Those options are capping the number of backyard apartments allowed per property, setting a minimum square footage per unit and changing city development rules to limit the bulk and scale of such apartments.

It’s the day of the showdown at the San Diego Planning Commission at city hall over the city’s ADU policies — and the Rag will attempt a “live blog” of the event.

This means we’ll try to bring a contemporaneous account of the happenings right here.

For a live view of the meeting, go here.

It is a showdown,  however, between residents of neighborhoods across the city that have been negatively affected by Mayor Gloria’s so-called “Bonus ADU Program.” On the agenda of the Commission are proposed “reforms” both by Gloria and by the numerous groups that are arguing for a slowdown in enacting any reforms until the residents of the city have had a chance to make their voices and opinions known.
Some of the groups that have members in the audience include Neighbors for a Better San Diego, the Community Coalition, UC Peeps, Neighbors for Encanto, Neighbors for a Better California, and Community Planners Committee.

1:36 pm the Commission passed a motion unanimously to accept staff’s recommendations with a 2-story cap for ADUs and a request that staff return with options of limiting the number of ADUs on one lot. (Unfortunately I don’t list the staff’s recommendations here.)

12:32 Commissioner comments.

10:29 Encanto resident Lisa Becerra asks, “Are we a tyranny?” She represents 857 of her neighbors who don’t want more than one ADU in a singlefamily lot. “The city is not listening to us.”

“Don’t you dare allow ADUs using Footnote 7”

10:19 An African American speaker from Encanto speaks (didn’t get his name) complaining of the lack of infrastructure in Southeast and Encanto. “Get in line with the state, San Diego.”

9:05 a.m. — Kate Callen of the Rag just spoke during non-agenda comments and asked the Commission to refrain from calling opponents of the ADU policies “anti-housing” and received a good round of applause.

People involved in the drive to make La Jolla its own city scored a win just recently when the Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO) announced the Association for the City of La Jolla (ACLJ) had collected sufficient valid signatures to start the process of forming a city.

LAFCO is the county office that oversees the creation of new cities and it has determined that the secession movement had collected more than the 6,750 signatures.

In doing so, LAFCO reversed the Registrar of Voter’s decision that some of the ACLJ’s petition signatures were invalid.

San Diego Mayor Gloria is not having it and called LAFCo’s decision “outrageous.” He has vowed to explore legal action against the county agency.

By Todd Walters

May Day is a global day of action to recognize and uplift working people. Here in San Diego, it’s a moment to reflect on our progress and renew our fight for fairness, respect, and dignity on the job. At UFCW Local 135, our members are standing strong and united— whether they work in grocery stores, healthcare, cannabis, or anywhere else.

They’re ready for the fight. And they’re rising together.

Our grocery members—more than 7,000 strong—are currently in contract negotiations with Vons/Pavilions, Albertsons, Ralphs and Stater Bros. These workers kept our communities fed through the pandemic and beyond. Now, they’re demanding a contract that reflects their hard work and the rising cost of living. Alongside our sister locals across the region, we are part of a powerful 65,000-member strong Southern California grocery bargaining unit. Together, we are demanding real raises, improved staffing, and better benefits. We’re not backing down—Grocery Workers Are Rising.

Unfortunately, we’re also facing major roadblocks at the bargaining table with one of the grocery companies: Stater Bros.

by Kate Callen and Paul Krueger / Times of San Diego / April 30, 2025

The San Diego Community Coalition will make its public debut May 1 by addressing the San Diego Planning Commission when it discusses proposed changes to the controversial “Bonus ADU” ordinance.

The coalition is a citywide network of neighborhood activists focused on two interconnected issues:

Overbuilding in residential neighborhoods — from mid-rise towers to giant multi-unit ADU complexes — which erodes our urban infrastructure and produces minimal affordable housing.

City Hall’s disrespect for constituents, its refusal to engage the public in open dialogue, and its suppression of community planning groups.

So far, the coalition includes activist leaders in 15 communities: Bay Ho, City Heights, Clairemont, College Area, Encanto, Golden Hill, Linda Vista, Middletown, Mission Hills, North Park, Ocean Beach, Point Loma, Pacific Beach, Talmadge and University City.

PLEASE TAKE 2 MINUTES TO SUBMIT YOUR COMMENT TO THE SAN DIEGO PLANNING COMMISSIONERS BEFORE THIS THURSDAY, MAY 1, 2025

On Thursday, May 1 at 9 am, the Planning Commission will review the Mayor’s proposed changes to the Bonus ADU Program.

These proposed changes will do little to alleviate the harm that the Bonus ADU Program is causing to first-time homebuyers and single-family neighborhoods, as are outlined in various recent posts here.

Whether you can attend the meeting or not, please submit a comment on the Planning Commission’s web portal before Thursday morning’s meeting.

It’s very easy to do. Just follow these steps…