San Diego faces lawsuit over 136&unit ADU project proposal

SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — A community group, Neighbors for a Better Pacific Beach, filed a lawsuit Monday against the City of San Diego and real estate developer SDRE.

The lawsuit is challenging the proposed 136-unit ADU project near Bluffside Avenue and Pacifica Drive in Pacific Beach.

“We have been informed by the city that the project is being processed as a ministerial project,” said attorney Josh Chatten-Brown. “That means it can be approved at any moment without community input, environment analysis or transparency.”

Chatten-Brown says each ADU would be about 450 square-feet, and Neighbors for a Better Pacific Beach say the rent has been advertised to investors at about $3,000 a month.

“It’s not affordable housing,” said resident Trudy Grundland.

Chatten-Brown says the city could give the project a green light without public input, cultural and environmental analysis. He says the project would sit on well documented Kumeyaay Nation land.

“I want to make sure it isn’t destroyed and lost. If there are human remains there we want to make sure they are not disturbed,” said Elder Jesse Pinto.

“This should be as complicated as putting up a high rise. It’s 136 units. It should be looked at with detail so it’s done correctly,” added Grundland.

The project would sit next to military housing and worried residents say there’s not enough street parking to accommodate that many residents.

“There there will be Ubers, deliveries, Amazon,” said Grundland. “It’s just going to be chaotic.”

“It’s an abuse of the ADU process. ADU’s were intended to be accessory dwellings, granny flats. This is essentially a defacto apartment complex,” said Chatten-Brown.

SDRE said in a statement, “The homes at Chalcifica have followed all required review and approval processes, and we will continue to work closely with city officials, planners and the appropriate agencies every step of the way. Our focus remains on building attainable housing options for hardworking San Diegans.”