SAN DIEGO — Long gone are the days of granny flats for a family member to live in or to rent out for some extra cash.
Accessory Dwelling Units, known as ADUs can be huge and right next door.
On the other side of Cyndie Taylor’s College East backyard are three, two-story ADU units, each will have two units.
The single-family home on the property will be converted into two units, totaling eight units.
“It is an apartment complex in a backyard,” said Taylor.
ADUs are becoming popular after the City of San Diego pulled back some of the restrictions to address the housing shortage.
“I don’t understand how these six units are taking a bite,” said Taylor.
Instead, Taylor says the ADU complex is carving into her privacy.
“I started having a little anxiety, this big window is looking into my backyard, what am I going to help with my privacy,” said Taylor.
Her neighbor, Dave Nicolai, has done a lot of homework. He’s gone to the city council, the city and community groups to fight this ADU project and the other one across the street in the College East neighborhood but found it's legal.
“Whatever measures I took to stop this and protect our neighborhood didn't do me any good because this is what we got,” said Nicolai.
Developer Daniel Shkolnik with Atlas West Group is building both ADU projects.
Shklolnik didn’t return CBS 8's call on Thursday but in January, we interviewed him about the projects.
Shklolnik is able to build multiple ADU units on one lot under the city’s ADU Bonus Program.
According to the program, in a transit priority area, for every deed-restricted moderate-income ADU he builds, he can add an additional market-rate ADU.
He says most of the same rules, such as setbacks and height limits are the same for his ADUs as they are for the single-family homes around them.
“The only difference is we’re able to add more doors and house more people with the same amount of square footage,” Shkolnik told CBS 8 in January.
But Taylor says she can’t add any more length to the six-foot fence she is putting in to block the first floor.
“If the city would allow that I would that. I am open to suggestions,” said Taylor.
ADU’s under 750 square feet are exempt from certain development impact fees. Public records show the city approved the plans.
“We can’t do anything about it,” said Nicolai.
But neighbors say what they can do is warn others about these ADU complexes casting a shadow over neighborhoods.
“This is not what I bargained for. My property value has gone down. My privacy has gone done and my anxiety has gone up and it doesn’t feel very good. It’s frustrating,” said Taylor.
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