Overdevelopment in the Heart of Pacific Beach

The proposed development at 2596 Chalcedony Street drastically exceeds neighborhood norms and threatens to erode community character in pursuit of density at any cost.

What’s Being Proposed?

A Project That Defies Context

The development proposal for 2596 Chalcedony Street would replace a single-family home with a multi-story, multi-unit structure that severely exceeds local zoning and neighborhood scale. This is not thoughtful infill — it's overreach.

  • Location: Mid-block in a quiet, residential neighborhood

  • Proposal: 216 units with no park or outdoor recreation area

  • Parking Impact: Insufficient off-street parking with only 69 parking spaces and raises concerns about spillover congestion.

  • Scale: Out of character with surrounding homes and neighborhood form

Formal Application Filed
As of June 4, 2025 this project has officially moved out of the pre-application phase and is now under formal review.

Key Concerns.

Why NFABC Opposes This Project As Proposed

  • Disregards Community Character:
    Pacific Beach's charm lies in its human scale. This project erodes that.

  • Encourages Overcrowding Without Infrastructure Upgrades:
    Utilities, traffic capacity, and parking are already strained.

  • Cultural Site at Risk
    The proposed site will pave over known Indian artifacts, raising historical and cultural preservation concerns.

  • Zoning Abuse via State Density Bonuses:
    Developers are using Sacramento mandates to bypass local height and density limits.

  • Threatens Walkability and Safety:
    Increased car traffic and fewer sightlines put pedestrians and cyclists at risk.

  • Loss of Public Park Space
    To accommodate parking, part of the existing park area will be removed—reducing community access to green space.

Death by a Thousand Cuts: Why Small Projects Still Matter.

While this may seem like a single lot, the precedent it sets is massive. Projects like this — justified by vague state mandates — stack up quickly. Together, they transform entire neighborhoods without any public process. If we don’t push back here, this could become the new norm.

Here’s the Latest

On July 24, 2025, NFABC submitted a formal legal request to the City Attorney and Development Services Department urging a pause in approval and a full safety and environmental review.

We’re calling on the City to act before irreversible harm occurs.

Concerns about a new permit application for a Bonus Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) project on Chalcedony Street in Pacific Beach prompted board members to visit DSD, where we encountered the $34 fee and note-taking restriction issues. The Chalcedony project proposes a significant development: one main dwelling unit, one by-right ADU, and 114 Bonus ADUs (57 market-rate and 57 affordable units), with 69 parking spaces.

NFABC spoke at the June 16, 2025 at 2:00 PM City of San Diego City Council regarding new Bonus ADU regulations in the city and attend the Pacific Beach Planning Group meeting on June 11, 2025, at 6:30 PM to support the draft letter to DSD.