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San Diego residents protest against SB10 during city's Planning Department public workshop

The workshop focused on the development of what’s known as ‘missing middle’ homes, which includes duplexes, fourplexes and townhomes near transit.

SAN DIEGO — Dozens of homeowners and renters are pushing back against the City of San Diego's plan to build more housing.

The city’s planning department held a public workshop Thursday evening which was inundated by frustrated San Diegans.

The workshop focused on Senate Bill 10, which allows the city to override zoning laws.

Frustrated residents made their voices heard as the city discussed its plan to build more housing in single family neighborhoods

"We just want smarter, better planning that benefits all San Diegans," said Geoff Hueter with Neighbors For A Better San Diego.

"They are destroying all of our neighborhoods and putting large up 8-units apartment complexes in people’s backyards and there’s no setback rules, there’s no parking requirements," said San Diegan, Robert Kalproth.

The workshop focused on the development of what’s known as ‘missing middle’ homes, which includes duplexes, fourplexes and townhomes near transit.

"They want to just keep building and building and building and turn this into another Los Angeles, or giant city and they are not taking into consideration the neighborhoods that we’ve built," added Kalproth.

Those against SB10 went back and forth with the city during Thursday's meeting.

Those in favor of the initiative say zoning reform is key to stemming the state’s housing crisis, but many homeowners argued the law makes space and parking in neighborhoods even worse than what it already is.

"All these people that are going to rent these backyard units are gonna have cars, and where are they going to park, there’s no where to park already in most of our neighborhoods," said Kalproth.

Kalproth says it presents major infrastructure and safety concerns, too.

"If they just keep building, eventually the infrastructure in both electric, water, sewer…that’s all gonna have to give."

"There’s different ways of doing planning and if we could really sit down and have the real conversation about what our real needs are as San Diegans and how we can all work together to make those things happen. We just think it would be a better process and much better outcome," said Hueter.

The next in-person workshop is March 13, 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Valencia Park/Malcom X Library. The workshop is on Discontinued Harmful Uses & Anti-Displacement Measures.

WATCH RELATED: San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria signs executive order for housing projects (Jan. 2023).

    

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