Coastal Commission Certifies San Diego's ADU Regulations: New Rules for Pacific Beach, La Jolla, and Mission Beach (September 2024)

The Watershed Moment: September 12, 2024 Coastal Commission Certification

After years of regulatory uncertainty, Pacific Beach property owners west of Interstate 5 finally have clarity on accessory dwelling unit development. On September 12, 2024, the California Coastal Commission formally certified ADU regulations contained within San Diego's Housing Action Package 1.0 (Ordinance O-21439). This certification was a watershed moment—it brought the coastal zone into alignment with regulations that had been in effect outside the Coastal Overlay Zone since April 10, 2022.

For the 100% of Pacific Beach properties that fall within the Coastal Overlay Zone, this means ADU projects are now subject to consistent, predictable setback and landscape requirements. Prior to this certification, coastal homeowners faced a confusing patchwork of regulations where state ADU law conflicted with local coastal program requirements. Projects often stalled as property owners and city staff navigated conflicting mandates from the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) and the Coastal Commission.

The certification establishes that ADUs in Pacific Beach's coastal zone must follow the same setback standards as the rest of San Diego: a minimum 4-foot street side yard setback (or the base zone requirement, whichever is less), with the ability to build to the property line on side and rear yards if the ADU is 16 feet or less in height. Multi-story ADUs over 16 feet must maintain a 4-foot side and rear setback when adjacent to residential properties.

This standardization is particularly significant for neighborhoods like Bird Rock, Tourmaline Surfing Park area, and the blocks between Mission Boulevard and the ocean, where lot sizes are often compact and maximizing buildable area is critical to project feasibility. The new rules provide the certainty developers and homeowners need to move forward with confidence.

SB 1077: The Next Evolution in Coastal ADU Reform

Just ten days after the Coastal Commission certified San Diego's regulations, Governor Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill 1077 on September 22, 2024, authored by Senator Catherine Blakespear. This legislation represents the next evolution in coastal ADU reform and will have profound implications for Pacific Beach homeowners beginning in 2026.

SB 1077 (Chapter 454, Statutes of 2024) requires the California Coastal Commission, in coordination with the Department of Housing and Community Development, to develop written guidance for local governments by July 1, 2026. This guidance will help cities prepare Local Coastal Program amendments that clarify and simplify the permitting process for ADUs and Junior ADUs (JADUs) in the coastal zone.

The legislation was designed to resolve the fundamental tension between two state agencies with different missions: HCD, which is tasked with increasing housing production, and the Coastal Commission, which is charged with protecting coastal resources. For years, these competing mandates created a no-win situation for coastal property owners, who struggled to meet both agencies' requirements simultaneously.

By mid-2026, Pacific Beach homeowners should benefit from streamlined CDP requirements that clarify which ADU projects require full Coastal Development Permits versus those eligible for ministerial approval or CDP exemptions. Faster approval timelines should harmonize coastal permitting with the 60-day approval mandate that applies to ADUs outside coastal zones. Reduced costs by eliminating unnecessary CDP requirements for low-impact ADU projects could save the approximately $14,000 and one year of time that the typical CDP process currently demands. Clear exemption criteria will establish statewide standards for when ADUs in coastal zones can proceed without CDPs.

New Setback Requirements: What You Can Build

With the September 2024 certification, ADU setback requirements in Pacific Beach's Coastal Overlay Zone now mirror those in effect citywide. Your ADU must observe either the street side yard setback of your zone OR a minimum of 4 feet, whichever is less. If your detached ADU is 16 feet or shorter in height, you can build right up to the side and rear property lines—zero setback required. This is transformative for narrow lots common in areas like the Kate Sessions neighborhood or along the Mission Bay side of Pacific Beach, where every foot counts.

For multi-story ADUs exceeding 16 feet in height, a 4-foot side and rear setback is required when adjacent to residential properties (or your base zone requirement, whichever is less). However, if you're converting an existing structure to an ADU, you can maintain the existing structure's setbacks regardless of height. If you're demolishing and rebuilding, you can maintain the original setbacks if reconstructing at the same location and dimensions.

These flexible setback rules dramatically increase buildable ADU area compared to previous coastal regulations. A typical 5,000-square-foot Pacific Beach lot with a 25-foot rear yard can now accommodate a 1,200-square-foot detached ADU built to the rear and side property lines, maximizing living space while preserving yard area.

Parking Exemptions: The Transit Priority Area Advantage

One of the most homeowner-friendly aspects of current ADU regulations in Pacific Beach is the broad parking exemption for properties near transit corridors. No parking spaces are required for ADUs outside the Coastal Overlay Zone. Within the Coastal Overlay Zone, no parking is required EXCEPT if the property is located within the Beach Impact Area of the Parking Impact Overlay Zone AND outside of a transit priority area.

Pacific Beach benefits from major MTS bus routes, particularly Route 8 and Route 30, which run along Garnet Avenue and Grand Avenue. These corridors create a transit priority area designation that covers most of Pacific Beach. Properties within a half-mile of these bus routes—which includes virtually all of Pacific Beach between Interstate 5 and the ocean—fall within transit priority areas. When a property is in both the Beach Impact Area and the transit priority area, state law prohibits the City from requiring parking for ADUs.

This parking exemption is transformative for garage conversion ADUs. You can convert your existing garage to living space without replacing the parking, saving $15,000-$30,000 in construction costs for new parking structures and preserving valuable yard area. For a typical Pacific Beach homeowner converting a 400-square-foot two-car garage to an ADU, this exemption alone makes the project financially feasible.

Coastal Development Permits: What Projects Still Require Them

While the September 2024 certification brings clarity to setback and parking requirements, many Pacific Beach ADU projects still require Coastal Development Permits (CDPs). Understanding whether your project needs a CDP—and what that means for timelines and costs—is critical to planning.

A CDP is required for all ADUs and JADUs within the Coastal Overlay Zone that are not completely contained within your existing primary structure, include increases in habitable area, or involve conversion of non-habitable space. This encompasses detached ADUs, garage conversions with expanded footprints, and attached additions.

However, your project may qualify for a CDP exemption if it meets specific criteria: located more than 50 feet from a coastal bluff edge, over 300 feet from mean high tide line, does not remove vegetation within 100 feet of a bluff, doesn't encroach on public coastal access ways, and doesn't involve expanding wells or septic systems. Most Pacific Beach properties east of the immediate beachfront—particularly those between Garnet Avenue and Mission Boulevard—meet these exemption criteria.

If your ADU qualifies for a CDP exemption, it may be eligible for ministerial review—a much faster approval process managed by city staff without discretionary review or appeals. Ministerial ADU projects meeting all code requirements can be approved in 3.5-4 months, compared to 8-12 months for projects requiring full discretionary CDPs.

The upcoming SB 1077 guidance due by July 2026 should further clarify and potentially expand CDP exemption criteria, making more Pacific Beach ADU projects eligible for ministerial approval.

Current Approval Timelines in the Coastal Zone

Current timelines for coastal zone ADU approval in Pacific Beach typically run 6-8 months from complete application submission to permit issuance, though this varies based on project complexity and whether a Coastal Development Permit is required. Projects requiring a full discretionary CDP can take 8-12 months total, while projects eligible for ministerial review may be approved in 3.5-4 months. Starting in 2026, SB 1077 guidance implementation should compress timelines further.

Research from UC Berkeley's Terner Center shows that San Diego performs better than other coastal California counties for ADU permitting. There's no statistically significant difference between coastal and non-coastal ADU approval times in San Diego, unlike Los Angeles and Orange Counties where coastal permits take significantly longer. This reflects San Diego's relatively efficient processing of coastal ADU applications even before SB 1077 reforms take effect.

For Pacific Beach homeowners planning ADU projects in 2025, realistic timeline expectations are: 2-3 months for design and plan preparation, 60-90 days for initial city review, 30-60 days for revisions and resubmittals (potentially 2-3 cycles), 6-9 months additional if a discretionary CDP is required, and 20-25 days for final processing once plans are approved. Total time from concept to permit: 6-8 months for ministerial projects, 12-14 months for full CDP projects.

Landscape and Tree Requirements Under Housing Action Package 1.0

Housing Action Package 1.0 established specific tree requirements for ADU projects, now in effect in the coastal zone following the September 2024 certification. If you're building an ADU that brings the total number of ADUs or JADUs on your property to two or more, you must provide two trees per 5,000 square feet of lot area, with a minimum of one tree per property.

This means a typical 5,000-square-foot Pacific Beach lot adding a second ADU would require two trees total. Trees must be selected from the City's Street Tree Selection Guide and comply with Landscape Standards in the Land Development Manual and street tree requirements in San Diego Municipal Code Section 142.0409(a).

However, there's an important update: as of mid-2025, the city has begun eliminating some landscaping requirements that aren't mandated by state law, as such requirements may be prohibited. It's essential to verify current requirements with Development Services, as the landscape rules are in flux.

What Pacific Beach Homeowners Should Do Now

The combination of the September 2024 Housing Action Package certification and the upcoming SB 1077 reforms creates an unprecedented opportunity for Pacific Beach homeowners to add ADUs with regulatory clarity and streamlined permitting. Here's what you should do now to take advantage of these changes.

First, determine whether your property falls within a transit priority area (virtually all of Pacific Beach does) to confirm parking exemptions. Second, assess your lot's buildable area under the new flexible setback rules—you may have more buildable space than you thought. Third, consult with an experienced coastal ADU contractor like Pacific Beach Builder to evaluate CDP requirements for your specific property and project type.

Fourth, consider starting your ADU project in 2025 under current regulations, or waiting until mid-2026 when SB 1077 guidance should further streamline coastal permitting. Fifth, if you're planning a project that currently requires a full CDP, explore whether design modifications could qualify your ADU for CDP exemption and ministerial approval.

Pacific Beach Builder specializes in coastal zone ADU development and can guide you through every step of the process—from initial feasibility assessment through permit approval and construction. Our experience with Housing Action Package requirements, Coastal Development Permits, and transit priority area parking exemptions ensures your project moves forward efficiently.

Call Pacific Beach Builder at (858) 290-1842 to schedule a consultation about your coastal ADU project. We'll assess your property's buildable area under the new setback rules, determine whether your project requires a CDP, and provide a realistic timeline and cost estimate for completion. The regulatory clarity created by the September 2024 certification makes this the best time in Pacific Beach history to add an ADU—don't miss this opportunity.

Looking Ahead: The Impact of SB 1077 Guidance in 2026

While the September 2024 Housing Action Package certification provides immediate clarity on development standards, the real transformation in coastal ADU permitting will come when the Coastal Commission releases its SB 1077 guidance in mid-2026. This guidance will establish statewide standards for coastal ADU permitting that should significantly reduce costs and timelines for Pacific Beach homeowners.

The Coastal Commission must hold at least one public workshop before finalizing the guidance, with draft guidance expected in Spring 2026. Pacific Beach homeowners and ADU advocates should participate in this workshop to ensure the final guidance adequately addresses the practical challenges of coastal ADU development in high-density beach communities.

By early 2027, San Diego will need to amend its Local Coastal Program to incorporate the SB 1077 guidance, further refining coastal ADU regulations. This iterative improvement process means coastal ADU permitting will continue to get faster, cheaper, and more predictable through 2027 and beyond.

For Pacific Beach homeowners, the message is clear: whether you start your ADU project now under current regulations or wait until 2026 for further streamlining, the regulatory environment for coastal ADUs is the best it's ever been—and it's only getting better.