Proposed San Diego Code Update Seeks to Increase Density Near Transit

In an effort to boost housing production, San Diego officials have proposed an update to the city’s zoning rules that would expand transit-oriented development zones to a one-mile radius of a transit station and loosen regulations for accessory dwelling units (ADUs). David Garrick reports for the Del Mar Times.

Formally named the 2022 Land Development Code update, “The proposed rule changes would make an additional 5,224 acres close enough to transit to be eligible for developer density bonuses. The changes also would increase by 4,612 the acreage eligible for the accessory dwelling unit bonus program.”

As Garrick explains, “The piece of the proposal that encourages developers to build more lower-priced rental housing in prosperous neighborhoods would rely on the state’s definition of “high-opportunity” areas, which focuses primarily on the presence of educational institutions and high-paying jobs.”

The roughly 80 proposed changes also include “prohibiting new storage facilities on prime industrial land, loosening rules for pool demolitions at historic homes and specifying that converted parking lots must be used for outdoor dining, not retail.” After gaining unanimous approval from the city’s Planning Commission in December, the proposal must pass through the Land Use and Housing Committee and the full city council next month.

The city is relatively unique in that it updates its development code en masse once a year, in contrast with other municipalities that make zoning and development changes piecemeal.

See the source article for more details about proposed changes and the pushback from critics who want to preserve the current zoning code.