The Senate Bill 10 Opt-In is bundled into San Diego's Housing Action Package 2.0 and currently making its way through the system with a City Council vote expected sometime in the summer of 2023. Mayor Gloria and his backers in Sacramento hope that San Diego will be foolish enough to "opt-in" to SB 10.

 

The final decision rests solely in the hands of our nine City Council members who will be voting on the Package. Unlike previous state mandates such as SB 9, SB 10 is entirely optional and our City Council members have the full discretion to pull it from the Housing Action Package.

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Here's what the City Council must know about SB 10:

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• THERE'S NO TURNING BACK! If SB 10 is implemented on a parcel in San Diego, IT CAN NEVER BE UNDONE. EVER. This is written into the State bill itself

 

• SB 10 allows 10-unit buildings up to three stories high in residential neighborhoods on single-family parcels

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• All parcels a mile or more away from existing or future transit stops are eligible (over half of all San Diego properties)  How did we get this distance?  San Diego has some flexibility in how it implements SB 10 because it's an "opt-in" and not a state mandate. Because of that, the Mayor's Planning Department is choosing to use the SDA (one-mile walk to transit) as the area in which to implement it. 

     The "or more" part refers to areas in San Diego that the Planning Department has defined as having "Specific Plans" The Planning Department made it so that even if a tiny corner of a Specific Plan touches the SDA, then the ENTIRE area of the Specific Plan is included in the SDA.

   

• Exceeds the density of most of San Diego's apartment zones

 

• Even tiny lots are eligible for SB 10

 

• Although Historic Districts are protected in the current draft of the Housing Action, a Planning Commissioner is already advocating for SB 10 to be allowed in Historic Districts

 

• No onsite parking requirements for the majority of eligible lots under the pretense that residents who live a mile away from ineffective transit won’t need cars

 

• Allowed in high-risk fire areas

 

• GRAY SAN DIEGO: Development allowed on almost the entire lot

 

• No requirements for homeownership (units can remain apartments forever)

 

• Drives land prices up by creating increased revenue potential for developers and investors, leading to higher rents and home prices

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• THERE'S NO TURNING BACK! — This is so important we listed it twice. If SB 10 is implemented on a parcel in San Diego, IT CAN NEVER BE UNDONE. EVER. This is written into the State bill itself

 

After the bogus "public engagement" meeting on SB 10 last March, the Package is now in the "Draft Regulations Developed" stage according to the City's timeline:

 

Winter 2023 —> Initial Public Engagement

Spring 2023 —> Draft Regulations Developed 

Spring 2023 —> Planning Commission  <— we are here

Summer 2023 —> City Council Committee

Summer 2023 —> City Council Adoption

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You can rest assured that your City Council members are taking meetings with building industry lobbyists and proponents of SB 10.

 

Please continue to put pressure on your Council member and educate them on why they must vote NO on SB 10! It's imperative that they fully understand the irreversible harm of this non-mandatory Senate bill, authored by Senator Scott Wiener and co-authored by San Diego Senator Toni Atkins.