CBLG Files Petition Challenging the City’s Broad Practice of Processing All ADU Density Bonus Program Projects as Ministerial, in Violation of CEQA, Including a 136-Unit ADU Project in Pacific Beach

On August 4, 2025, Chatten-Brown Law Group filed a petition on behalf of Neighbors for a Better Pacific Beach, challenging the City of San Diego’s broad pattern and practice of processing all projects as ministerial (i.e., without discretionary approvals and adequate review) under the ADU Density Bonus Program. In particular, CBLG alleges that the City is improperly processing a 136-unit project in Pacific Beach as ministerial, despite the fact that the site sits atop a significant historical Kumeyaay coastal village site, within a Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone, and along a steep hillside necessitating the application of the City’s Environmentally Sensitive Lands Regulations.

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