SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — The San Diego City Council passed stricter guidelines for building Accessory Dwelling Units Monday night.
The new guidelines only target future developments. Existing projects or projects already under construction are exempt.
Zach Collins, Chief ADU Consultant with architectural design firm ADU Geeks, spoke with ABC 10News following the council vote about the pros and cons of the amendments to the existing ADU laws.
Collins said some pros included a new focus on fire safety and restrictions on apartment-style ADUs in cul-de-sacs.
One downside Collins mentions is that developers will be limited to the number of ADUs they can build per lot; however, he acknowledges that these limitations were put in place in response to concerns from ADU opponents, who want to preserve their neighborhoods.
"This is going to help save a lot of communities and reduce the amount of density in a lot of people's properties," Collins said.
The new guidelines particularly impact bonus ADUs, which are additional units built for affordable housing.
"RS zoning, or residential single-family zoning, is no longer gonna have access to the bonus ADU program," Collins said.
Collins said there were many zones that used to be able to build an unlimited number of ADUs, and now, those neighborhoods will have to adjust.
"It used to be that those were an absolute gold mine for developers because the floor area ratio was so much, that's why you see in like in Encanto neighborhoods there were all of these properties adding 30, 40 ADUs," Collins said. "Those properties with that zoning are no longer eligible for the bonus ADU program, so essentially they're saving the look and feel of a lot of neighborhoods.
The amended changes for building bonus ADUs also include requirements for off-street parking.
Collins said there will also be a new development impact fee associated with the bonus ADU program, which will fund improvements for infrastructure, plumbing, and other issues related to ADU construction.
Ultimately, Collins believes that the changes will be mutually beneficial for both supporters and critics of ADUs.
"You're providing another space for a family to move into and we do have a housing crisis going on and ultimately you're preserving the the vibe of the neighborhood," Collins said.
