San Diego City Council Proposes Changes to ADU Program

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News Summary

The San Diego City Council has endorsed changes to the Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) program amid community backlash. Proposed regulations include capping the number of ADUs per property, imposing infrastructure fees, and requiring parking spaces. These measures aim to preserve the character of neighborhoods and prevent excessive unit construction. Despite the proposed limits being less stringent than some neighborhood suggestions, concerns over traffic, parking, and aesthetics remain. As San Diego explores these adjustments, the city continues to monitor the implications for housing and community character.

San Diego City Council members on Thursday endorsed proposed changes to the city’s backyard apartment incentive, known as Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs), amid increasing community backlash against the program. The proposed changes aim to cap the number of ADUs that can be constructed on individual properties in an effort to maintain the character of single-family neighborhoods and prevent developers from exploiting the existing system to create excessive units on a single lot.

The Land Use and Housing Committee of the City Council, which voted 3-1 in favor of these modifications, seeks to implement several new regulations affecting the construction of ADUs. Key components of the proposal include:

Capping the number of ADUs allowed per property.
Imposing infrastructure fees on builders of ADUs.
Requiring parking spaces for ADUs that are not located near public transit.
Increasing distance requirements from property lines for new ADUs.
Limiting the height of ADUs to a maximum of two stories.
Prohibiting the construction of ADUs on cul-de-sacs situated in high wildfire risk areas.

If the full City Council approves the proposed changes in early June, implementation could begin as soon as late July. The proposal includes a cap that is less stringent than what some neighborhood leaders suggested, indicating a compromise to address community concerns while still allowing some level of increased housing density. Under the new rules, a maximum of four ADUs will be allowed on lots up to 5,000 square feet, with one additional unit permitted for every extra 1,000 square feet, capping at seven units for properties between 7,000 and 8,000 square feet.

Concerns regarding the existing ADU program have been addressed by several council members, highlighting issues where developers have taken advantage of the program’s density bonus in ways that were not intended. This has led to substantial community dissatisfaction, including protests and public hearings criticizing the impact of ADUs on traffic, parking, and the overall aesthetics of neighborhoods. Residents have expressed worries that the rapid increase in ADU construction compromises the unique character of their communities.

Meanwhile, supporters of the new proposal believe that the proposed limits will help to close loopholes that developers might exploit under the current system. The San Diego Housing Commission reported that the number of approved ADUs increased significantly last year, indicating success for the program but also triggering substantial concern among local residents about the unforeseen consequences that have emerged.

Additionally, the proposal includes a redefinition of fees associated with ADU construction, suggesting that the infrastructure fee could be termed a community enhancement fee. This shift may potentially bypass state laws that regulate impact fees for smaller ADUs. City officials are anticipating a ruling from state regulators regarding the validity of this community enhancement fee approach by the end of May.

The backdrop to these proposals includes the fact that San Diego has one of the most aggressive ADU incentive programs in California, which previously allowed for nearly unlimited construction of such units on single-family lots. In March, the full City Council even explored the possibility of completely eliminating the ADU program in certain neighborhoods due to community discontent.

As these changes are proposed, the debate continues. Councilmember Vivian Moreno cast the only dissenting vote, emphasizing the need for more accessible housing solutions in San Diego, indicating that even with the unintended consequences, efforts should focus on making it easier to build homes. As the situation evolves, communities and city leaders will be closely monitoring the implications of these proposed changes on local housing and neighborhood characteristics.