Dear Supporters of Neighbors for a Better California,

On Thursday, May 15, the City’s Land Use and Housing Committee will evaluate proposed changes to the Bonus ADU Program. We support the 10,000 sq ft cap in all RS zones but favor the Community Planners Committee’s more comprehensive reforms.

Making it easy for you to comment and make your voice heard! Here is How:

Option 1: LU&H Public Comment Webform

Submit your official comment at:

https://www.sandiego.gov/council-committees/luh-committee-public-comment-form

• Agenda Item #: 4

(Word limit: 200. Submitted comments will appear in the official public record.)-

Option 2: Email LU&H Committee Members Directly

Email councilmembers and their chief of staff at the addresses below. Use subject line: Bonus ADU Reform

Emails:

kentlee@sandiego.gov, SKamiab@sandiego.gov, 

seanelorivera@sandiego.gov, MollyW@sandiego.gov, 

raulcampillo@sandiego.gov, msimonsen@sandiego.gov,

vivianmoreno@sandiego.gov, gramirezborj@sandiego.gov

Below are ten sample comment templates (each under 200 words) that you can use for the LU&H Public Comment Webform or as the bodyof an email to City Councilmembers. Feel free to personalize any of them with what speaks to you most.

Option 3: Attend the meeting

If you’re available to attend the Land Use & Housing Committee meeting Thursday afternoon beginning at 1 pm, we encourage you toshow up in support — there’s strength in numbers.

SAMPLE COMMENTS - please use as you need to make your comments heard at Council Committee

SAMPLE COMMENT 1:

TOPIC: Family Displacement & Community Loss (198 words):

 As a resident of (area of San Diego) I urge you to reject the Planning Department’s Bonus ADU “reform” proposal. It ignores the most devastating impact of this policy: the steady erosion of family housing and the displacement of working-class San Diegans. This program has turned single-family neighborhoods into investor targets. Young families hoping to buy their first home are being priced out and replaced by mini apartment complexes built in backyards. The result? Starter homes are disappearing, and with them, the chance for families to plant roots in the city they love. We see the ripple effects everywhere: shrinking public school enrollment, rising youth homelessness, and entire blocks losing their social fabric. When families are pushed out, community goes with them.The new proposal still promotes micro-units, still fails to address affordability, and still permits overbuilding in areas with no infrastructure to support it. These are not minor tweaks,  they are missed opportunities. The Bonus ADU Program has already inflicted enough harm. It’s time to prioritize stable, family-serving housing, not high-yield investor returns. Stand with working families. Reject this policy, and start building a city where families can stay, grow, and thrive.

SAMPLE COMMENT 2

TOPIC: Parking Impacts Must Be Addressed (197 words)

The current Bonus ADU Program has created serious parking challenges in neighborhoods across San Diego and the proposed reforms still don’t go far enough to fix the problem. Under this program, developers can build multiple units on a single-family lot without being required to provide off-street parking, even in areas far from reliable transit. The result? Clogged streets, blocked driveways, and increased conflict between new tenants and longtime residents. Let’s be honest: most of San Diego does not have high-frequency, all-day transit. Many people still need a car to get to work, take their kids to school, or care for elderly family. Assuming transit use where it doesn’t exist isn’t planning, it’s denial. The Planning Department rightly recommended adding parking requirements for ADUs built outside Transit Priority Areas. We support that but more is needed. No developer should receive density bonuses without also meeting basic neighborhood needs, including parking.

 SAMPLE COMMENT 3

TOPIC: Strengthen Enforcement – Trust Isn’t Policy (195 words)

If affordability is the justification for the Bonus ADU Program, then enforcement must be non-negotiable, and right now, it’s far too weak. For years, the City has relied on a system of “trust but don’t verify.” Deed-restricted affordable ADUs are approved based on paperwork, with little to no follow-up. There are no regular audits, no site inspections, and violations rarely result in meaningful penalties. This isn’t accountability — it’s a policy built on hope. The Planning Department now proposes increasing penalties to $10,000 per unit, per month for violations. That’s a start, but real compliance means proactive monitoring, not just after-the-fact punishment. If San Diego is going to incentivize density in exchange for affordability, then the public deserves confidence that these units are actually going to low- and moderate-income residents, not rented at market rate with no consequences. Trust is not an enforcement strategy. It’s time for a compliance system that works, or the program shouldn’t continue.

SAMPLE COMMENT 4

TOPIC: Follow the Planning Department’s Own Warnings (196 words)

 As members of the San Diego Community Coalition, we urge you to take seriously the recommendations already laid out by the Planning Department to address the most dangerous flaws in the Bonus ADU Program. The Department has acknowledged what the public has said for years:

• That dense ADU development in High Fire Hazard Zones is a major safety risk without reliable evacuation routes.

• That infrastructure is being strained by additional units that often pay no fees — no support for water, sewer, roads, or emergency services.

• That protected open space and environmentally sensitive land is being improperly counted toward buildable density.

• And that deed-restricted affordable units are not being enforced, with few inspections and no meaningful penalties.

 These are not radical critiques — they are internal, professional assessments. The question is: will City leadership act on them? Minor adjustments are not enough. You’ve been handed clear evidence and concrete recommendations. Repeal the Bonus ADU Program or adopt the Community Planners Committee recommendations that protects safety, infrastructure, and long-term affordability.