Amendments to the Land Development Code (LDC) and Local Coastal Program (LCP)

• Pending Coastal Commission Certification
  • Amendment to the Regulations for Community Gardens (PDF)
    On June 7, 2011 the City Council approved new regulations that allow community gardens to be developed easily and inexpensively in all residential and commercial zones in the City.  However, the regulations will not be effective within the City’s Coastal Overlay Zone until the California Coastal Commission (CCC) unconditionally certifies new regulations. The amendment was submitted to the California Coastal Commission on August 18, 2011.
  • Mission Beach Planned District Ordinance (MBPDO) (PDF). The Planning Commission is scheduled to make a recommendation to the City Council on the proposed amendment on April 29, 2010. The City of San Diego is in the process of amending the Mission Beach Planned District Ordinance. The proposed changes generally address the regulations related to allowable encroachments, determining grade, the process to deviate, and applicability of the 45 degree angled plane. The majority of the modifications shown address reorganization and clarification of existing language and concepts, and removal of redundant language. The proposed changes are shown in strikeout and underline format. A Tracking Table (PDF) has been compiled to guide reviewers through the changes and how they relate to the current MBPDO.
  • Coastal Development Permit Categorical Exclusion
  • Density Bonus: On November 6, 2007 the City Council approved new Affordable Housing Density Bonus Regulations. These regulations become effective outside of the Coastal Overlay Zone on December 20, 2007. They will become effective within the Coastal Overlay Zone upon the unconditional certification by the California Coastal Commission. The ordinance and the new regulations are in the following link.
    • Approved Ordinance (PDF)
  • Voluntary Accessibility Program Amendments: On May 11, 2010, the City Council adopted the Voluntary Accessibility Program, which is an incentive program to encourage accessible design in new residential development. The goal is to increase the number of accessible housing units in the local housing supply by offering a variety of development incentives to facilitate accessible design. The program is most applicable to single dwelling unit and duplex development, but other types of residential development exempt from California Building Code Chapter 11A accessibility requirements may also qualify. In exchange for incentives, participating projects would be required to meet a specified level of accessible design per the approved ordinance. Beginning June 18, 2010, residential development outside of the coastal zone may voluntarily participate in this program. The Voluntary Accessibility Program will be available to projects citywide when the Coastal Commission unconditionally certifies the ordinance.
    • Report to Planning Commission (PDF)
    • Approved Ordinance (PDF)
  • 7th Update to the Land Development Code: On August 2, 2011, the City Council adopted the 7th Update which is a package of amendments that are being processed as part of a comprehensive update and regular maintenance of the code, including amendments to the Municipal Code and Local Coastal Program (Chapter 9, Article 8; Chapter 11, Articles 2 and 3; Chapter 12, Articles 5, 6 and 9; Chapter 13, Articles 1 and 2; Chapter 14, Articles 1, 2, 3, and 4; and Chapter 15, Articles 1, 3, 9, 10, 12, 16, and 19). The amendments are classified into five categories including: Permit Process, Measurement, Landscape, Parking, and Minor Corrections, and are summarized in the Issue Matrix. The code amendments include changes to address various steps in the permit process (i.e. applications, noticing, initiation, historic resource surveys, appeal of environmental determinations, findings for approval, grounds for appeal, bonds, permit expiration); items to help clarify and simplify the review process for various permit types (i.e. planned development permits, pet care, signs, instructional studios, environmentally sensitive lands, companion units, parking structures, and previously conforming parking) and general clean up modifications to help clarify applicable development regulations and process requirements in the LDC and Planned District Ordinances. The ordinance will be effective in areas outside of the coastal zone on the date the Airport Authority determines the ordinance is consistent with applicable Airport Land Use Compatibility Plans. The ordinance will not be effective in the coastal zone until the Coastal Commission unconditionally certifies the ordinance.
    • City Council Adopted Ordinance (PDF)
• Pending City Council Hearing
  • Urban Agriculture Amendments - The City of San Diego is in the Process of developing regulations that assist in increasing access to local healthy foods. The proposed Urban Agriculture Amendments address changes to the keeping of chickens, goats and bees; reducing the approval process for farmers markets on private property, creating two new uses farmers market stands and retail farms and minor changes to the recently adopted community garden regulations. The proposed amendments plus a summary table are available at the following links.
    • Urban Agriculture Regulatory Summary Table (PDF)
    • Urban Agriculture Community Gardens (PDF)
    • Draft Bees November 1, 2011 (PDF)
    • Draft Chickens November 1, 2011 (PDF)
    • Draft Farmers Market and Retail Farm November 1, 2011 (PDF)
    • Draft Goats November 1, 2011 (PDF)
  • Amateur Radio Communication Amendments
  • Environmentally Sensitive Lands Ordinance – Wetland Deviations (PDF): The City of San Diego is in the process of amending the Environmentally Sensitive Lands Ordinance (ESL) and Land Development Manual – Biology Guidelines. The proposed changes include: clarifications to the development regulations for sensitive biological resources, the establishment of three development scenarios under which a deviation from the sensitive biological resources regulations may be approved outside of the Coastal Zone (including vernal pools) - Essential Public Project Option, Economic Viability Option, and Biologically Superior Option, and revisions to the Biology Guidelines to establish criteria for each development scenario against which the already adopted deviation findings will be evaluated. The proposed changes are shown in strikeout and underline format.
    • Draft Amendments to Environmentally Sensitive Lands (PDF)
    • Draft Amendments to Biology Guidelines (PDF)
• Pending Planning Commission Recommendation
• Amendment Projects in Open Public Review and Comment Period
  If you are interested in providing written comments on any of the drafts in an open public review and comment period, please identify the amendment project name in the email subject block and e-mail your comments to dsdldc@sandiego.gov.
  
  
  • Amendments to Outdoor Lighting Regulations - The City’s outdoor lighting regulations are intended to minimize light pollution and promote good lighting design that conserves electrical energy. The problem is that the City’s existing regulation has not been able to adapt to evolving lighting technologies due to certain requirements in Section 142.0740 of the Land Development Code that specify low pressure sodium or high pressure sodium. The City is exempt from this regulation and is in the process of replacing street lights in the public right of way that will result in tremendous energy savings and a better quality light. However, code amendments are needed to allow for private applicants to achieve comparable energy savings and light quality in parking lots or for security lighting due to existing limitations in Section 142.0740. The proposed amendments would allow for broad spectrum lighting alternatives for better lighting and energy efficiency with new limitations incorporated to address light pollution concerns (i.e. limits on color temperature, shielding, full cut off flat lenses, and greater protection within 30 miles of local observatories).
    
    The following draft is available for review and comment via a courtesy six week review and comment period through March 12, 2012.
    • Draft Code Amendments
    • Facts for Consumers
      
      
• Amendment Projects in Early Stages
  • Planned District Ordinances - Phase 2
  • Small Lot Subdivision Ordinance (PDF)
  • Urban Farms
  • 8th Update to the Land Development Code

Staff Contacts:

• Amanda Lee, 619-446-5367, ajohnsonlee@sandiego.gov
• Dan Joyce, 619-446-5388, djoyce@sandiego.gov
• Anna McPherson, 619-446-5276, amcpherson@sandiego.gov