San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria is pushing for changes to the city's Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) Density Bonus Program, a move aimed at refining the initiative to fit the fabric of local communities better while continuing to address the affordable housing crunch. The ADU program permits the creation of secondary homes alongside main residences. Under the Density Bonus Program, homeowners can build extra units if they allocate a share to moderate or low-income households. This program recently garnered accolades as a top housing innovation and now faces fine-tuning to align better with community expectations and infrastructure realities.
City officials have expressed keen interest in collecting public input on the proposed amendments, concentrating on neighborhood character, infrastructure strain, and safety protocols. Feedback sessions are a staple in San Diego's approach to housing policy, seeking a balance between accelerating housing access and maintaining the aesthetic cohesion of its neighborhoods. In particular, concerns have surfaced over how the increased density may outstrip the local infrastructure,, and potentially hamper evacuation efforts during emergencies like wildfires.
Per reform specifics detailed in the City of San Diego, modifications include applying base zone height and overall building area limitations to ensure new constructions harmonize with existing homes. The proposal also seeks to revamp parking rules, excluding Transit Priority Areas as state law preempts City mandates, and bolster compliance through stiffer penalties for affordable rent deed violations. Furthermore, addressing the heightened fire risk, the reforms would restrict ADU developments in high-risk fire zones absent adequate evacuation routes, bringing ADU construction in line with fire code requirements, including sprinkler systems and brush management-sensitive setbacks.
City Planning Director Heidi Vonblum underscored the dual objectives of the ADU Density Bonus Program in a statement obtained by the City of San Diego, "Our City's housing programs are most successful when they provide housing options for people of all incomes and when new homes are consistent with the scale of existing neighborhoods." Acknowledging the importance of integrating moderate and lower-income housing options into the urban tapestry, Vonblum looks forward to "working with the public to achieve this."
