ADU Reform On San Diego Agenda As Housing Commission Talks Next steps

SAN DIEGO, CA — The San Diego City Council's Land Use & Housing Committee will Thursday discuss Mayor Todd Gloria's proposed amendments to the city's Accessory Dwelling Unit and Junior Accessory Dwelling Unit regulations.

Those proposed amendment cleared the city's Planning Commission on May 1, setting the stage for a radically reformed program intended to allow for more housing to be built but also maintain low-density residential neighborhoods.

"These amendments will help us create more housing opportunities for San Diegans while ensuring that new development is consistent with the scale and character of San Diego's neighborhoods and addressing public safety concerns," said City Planning Director Heidi Vonblum.

The Planning Commission requested city staff provide additional options related to development scale -- such as unit size, floor area ratio and maximum development caps for consideration.

ADU homes are additional housing units built alongside a primary residence. They are also sometimes referred to as "granny flats," "in-law unit" or other nicknames. JADU homes are even smaller -- no more than 500 square feet -- created within existing homes in single-family zones.

Gloria proposed 24 changes to the programs, which offer incentives to create affordable units for residents with moderate or low income.

Some of these include:

-- Removing the city's lowest-density residential zones from the program altogether;

-- Requiring a "community enhancement fee" for applicants attempting to opt for the ADU Home Density Bonus Program;

-- Requiring two evacuation routes for projects located in high fire hazard severity areas, adequate fire sprinklers and fire setbacks;

-- Requiring off-street parking for ADU homes outside transit priority areas;

-- Increasing fines for those violating the affordable housing portion of the program; and

-- Setting minimum and maximum sizes for ADU and JADU units, in line with state regulations.

Daniel Shkolnik, founder and CEO of Atlas West Group -- one of the first to capitalize on the ADU Bonus Program when it began in 2020, said he supported the mayor's efforts.

"It's no secret San Diegans continue to struggle to afford housing in our increasingly expensive market," he said. "Our city has failed the essential workers who keep our economy running -- nurses, emergency responders, teachers, office personnel and others -- resulting in a range of social, economic and environmental challenges.

"Mayor Gloria's award-winning density program is a proven solution, but instead of expanding efforts to create more affordable housing, we are losing time to create those solutions in favor of debating the merits of what little housing that is built. Housing should be accessible to everyone, not just the privileged. We stand with the mayor in his vision for a better San Diego with diverse housing options for all."