An attack on North County neighborhoods

Supervisor Jim Desmond

5th District

Within days of the failed recall of Governor Newsom, with the flick of a pen, the Governor signed three bills that negatively impact neighborhoods in San Diego County.

Let’s start with SB 9, a bill I’ve strongly opposed. The bill overrides local control, and the state now requires cities to allow single-family property owners to build an additional house, or one duplex on their currently zoned single family property lot. The bill also allows some homeowners to split a single-family lot to build two additional units on the other half. This means someone could potentially put four units right next door in a single-family neighborhood.

Then, there’s SB 10, allowing buildings with up to 10 units within single family zoning, as long as they are in urban areas and near public transit hubs.

The final bill is SB 8, which limits local governments’ abilities to reduce any density standards on lots already zoned for or planned for residential use. This sets a dangerous precedent that could potentially leave it up to the State where we can live and who will live next door.

I’m an adamant believer that we need more housing in San Diego County, especially so our young families can stay, work, and raise their families here. I believe the government needs to stay out of the way when it comes to building more housing. Government is the biggest reason why housing is so expensive due to overregulation.

I also believe we need to leave the decisions up to the local government as to where it is best to put housing. The State should not be telling local jurisdictions where they can and cannot build housing.

The North County cities of Carlsbad, Vista, San Marcos, and Oceanside all have wonderful neighborhoods that we must protect. These new laws will dramatically alter the character of North County neighborhoods. Even more troubling is the building efforts to eliminate the Proposition 13 protections that ensure our property taxes remain affordable for average homeowners. North County residents need to understand, the state government is coming for your neighborhood.