SAN DIEGO — If you’re frustrated by ADU’s popping up where you are around San Diego, you have a chance to help shape the city’s ADU policy.
People CBS 8 spoke with who live in the College East Area are actually looking to move out because of how ADUs have changed their neighborhood. You may have heard of the term Granny Flat, but neighbors here say these ADUs popping up are more like apartment buildings.
Dave Nicolai, who lives in the area, is unhappy with the state of the neighborhood for years.
“I've been frustrated for 2 years. Developers are gaming the system," he said. "They're definitely gaming the system.”
CBS 8 recently saw a NextDoor post Nicolai made about a property off Saranac and 70th Street. It now has 4 units on it. One of the units has 6 college students living in it. One of them told CBS 8 they pay $6,900 a month for a 2,500 square foot place. The trash bins were overflowing when CBS 8 was at the address.
“This is like a disease," Nicolai said. "It’s one, then another. Somebody else sells because they don’t want to live next to a dump like this. It’s easier to nose into a single family neighborhood than it is for developers to build where they should, which is transit corridors.”
Other neighbors feel similarly.
Mark Rupp and his wife have lived in this neighborhood since 2004. Their children were born and raised here. But now they’re looking to leave.
“This neighborhood is not going to be what it used to, but I don’t want to be here for that,” Rupp said.
The property beside Rupp's went from a single family home to a two-story, eight-unit complex with no added parking other than street parking.
“ADUs would be fine, but this is an apartment complex," Rupp said. "I wouldn't mind if several of the neighborhood houses around here had one granny flat in the back, that's fine. But this... that's not that."
CBS 8 asked both men if they were involved in the city’s ADU policy planning.
Rupp said it won' change anything.
“It feels like it doesn’t matter what we do," he said. "Can’t fight the powers that be, basically.”
Nicolai said no one informed him of the policy planning.
“No one said anything," he said. "All of a sudden COVID happens and next thing you know, we've got all these.”
The City amended its ADU code during the pandemic in 2020 to implement the state’s code. But Nicolai believes San Diego went beyond implementing state ADU code, especially with its Bonus ADUs incentive and allows much more than what’s required by the state.
“The bonus ADU is a piece of legislation that was written for developers, by developers," Nicolai said.
ADUs don’t require a public hearing to get approved.
Accessory Dwelling Unit or other permitting information can be found on the Development Services Department webpage.
Residents who have questions, concerns, issues with an ADU can go to this website or they can file a complaint with the Building & Land Use Enforcement division of DSD by clicking here.
Residents can click here if they want to check the status of a complaint they filed.
CBS 8 reached out to Sean Elo-Rivera, the City Councilmember for this area. His office says changes are proposed for the city’s ADU policy. The proposal is called Housing Action Package 2.0. They are taking public comments right now before a new policy is decided on.
At CBS 8, we are always Working for You and our community. This is a station promise that we will go the extra mile to solve a problem our audience can’t solve themselves. We want to hear your ideas on how we can cover and help our community. If you have a story idea, please email us at workingforyou@cbs8.com.
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