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Thank you for subscribing to the City of San Diego Development Services Department's (DSD) Construction Insider, a seasonal newsletter containing articles to keep you up to date on new department programs and other helpful industry news.

New Interactive Dashboard Allows Easy Access to Permitting Data

The City of San Diego is excited to announce the launch of the Permitting Center Dashboard, a dynamic, interactive platform designed to provide up-to-date information on DSD's permit, inspections and code enforcement activity. This tool, part of the #DigitalDSD initiative, aims to enhance transparency, increase access to essential data and empower users with valuable insights into DSD's operations. 

Navigating the dashboard is simple and intuitive, with options to switch between different permit categories, including overall permitting applications, residential permitting applications and Accessory Dwelling Unit/Junior ADU applications. Users can filter the data to match their needs, using the search parameters section.



The dashboard features three main sections:  

1. Overview: Displays a comprehensive summary of all permits processed by DSD, from major infrastructure projects to minor home repairs and solar panel installations. Users can view the total demand for DSD's services, department output and average time to obtain a permit. 
2. Residential: Offers detailed information on building permits related to residential projects subject to a ministerial permit process; showcases applications, issued permits, processing times and breakdown of projects containing new housing units, including affordable housing units. 
3. ADU/JADU: Highlights ministerial projects proposing to build ADUs or JADUs, either at market rates or as part of affordable housing program with affordable rent requirements. 

In addition to the interactive dashboard, the webpage also features a Code Enforcement Table, which gives an overview of code enforcement activities. The Inspections Table presents the average number of inspections conducted per working day and the total inspections completed each year, demonstrating the Department's commitment to ensuring construction projects and properties within the city meet safety and compliance standards. 

The webpage also offers helpful resources to further assist users, including up-to-date information about processing times, downtown development, quicker processing opportunities, housing development reports and DSD's Open Data Portal. 

Meet the DSD Management Team

DSD is composed of nine divisions that provide review, permit, inspection and code enforcement services for private and public development projects throughout the city of San Diego.

Whether it's construction, renovation or changing the use of a building in part or in its entirety, DSD assists customers with development projects promptly to ensure compliance with all applicable regulations, ensuring all city neighborhoods continue to be healthy, safe and livable for all residents, visitors and businesses.

To "meet" the DSD management team, which is led by Director Elyse Lowe (pictured above), visit this webpage with an organizational chart.

As-Needed Contractors Helping DSD Staff Reduce Project Backlog

The new, as-needed Plan Check consulting teams of Interwest and NV5 have officially started with DSD and improvements are noticeable!

NV5 has made great progress in reducing the backlog of Engineering/Stormwater projects. Eight staff are working alongside the DSD Engineering Team with Rapid Review and Accessory Dwelling Unit projects, reducing the Rapid Review queue from 135 projects to 0 in one month.

Interwest has provided Permit Technicians to assist with the Project Management and Submittal Division, where project set-up times were recently reduced to under five days for all permit queues.  

Structural Engineers have begun to address the backlog of projects to review in the Building Construction and Safety Division.

DSD is looking to onboard as-needed electrical engineers in the near future to support Electrical and Solar Photovoltaic (PV) plan reviews.



“We are actively monitoring the DSD Digital Dashboards to see where we can most effectively deploy contract staff to achieve a more balanced workload for DSD staff," said DSD Assistant Director Gary Geiler.

Online Permitting Tips: Responding to 'Updates Required' or 'Recheck Required' Status 

If your project status indicates "Updates Required" or "Recheck Required,” your project reviewer had requested that you submit new or revised documents. The list of requested documents is emailed to the Applicant. Additionally, here is how to run a report, find out what is needed and how to upload/resubmit the requested document(s): 



1.    Once logged in, go to the top-right corner and select "Reports." 

2.    Select "Required Submittal" from the dropdown menu. 

3.    A pop-up window will appear to enter the project number for the documents you are trying to retrieve. 

4.    A report will generate the documents the reviewer requested. When uploading the responsive records, ensure the document type reflects what the reviewer requested, or the system will not mark it as received or find them in a report query. 

5.    Once all documents are uploaded, the system will then change from "Updates

Required" or "Recheck Required" to "Resubmitted" or "In Review." You are done! 

Host Operating Requirements of STRO Ordinance in Effect as of May 1

As of May 1, 2023, the Building & Land Use Enforcement (BLUE) Division of DSD is now enforcing host operating and licensing requirements for the Short-Term Residential Occupancy (STRO) Ordinance. The STRO Ordinance requires a license when renting a dwelling unit, or part thereof for less than one month within the City of San Diego. To determine if your property is located within the City, reference the City of San Diego Council District Map.

Short-term rentals can only occur at a dwelling that was built with all permits, approvals and inspections and at a dwelling free of code violations. Accessory Dwelling Units, Junior Accessory Dwelling Units, affordable housing units, guest quarters, tiny homes and outdoor tents/sleeping areas are prohibited from being used as short-term rentals.

BLUE will focus enforcement mainly on STRO licensing and operation requirements. The enforcement team includes five field staff personnel who work Wednesdays through Sundays from 1:30 p.m. to 11 p.m.

There are four license types:

Tier 1: Part-time. Rented for an aggregate of 20 days or less per year. The owner or permanent resident does not need to reside onsite during the STRO.

Tier 2: Home Sharing. Renting a room or rooms in the home for more than 20 days per year so long as the owner or permanent resident resides onsite. The owner or permanent resident may be absent from the permanent residence during the STRO for up to 90 days per calendar year.

Tier 3: Whole Home Rentals (excluding Mission Beach) for more than 20 days per year where the owner or permanent resident does not reside onsite. 

Tier 4: Mission Beach Whole Home Rentals for more than 20 days per year where the owner or permanent resident does not reside onsite.

BLUE will always seek voluntary compliance first. When that is not achieved in a timely manner, the following applies:

•  Civil Penalties (for multiple code violations) at rate of $300 per day, per violation until violation is corrected (example: five violations mean $1,500 per day).
• $500 to $1,000 administrative citation per instance (single violation only).
• $264-$295 re-inspection fee anytime enforcement staff is called to the property at the third and subsequent inspection.
• Referral to the City Attorney’s Office, Nuisance Abatement Unit for judicial enforcement action.
• Code Enforcement Lien on the property for unpaid penalties, fines, City costs.
• License revocation at the third violation.
• Any enforcement action jeopardizes license renewal opportunities.

Complaints about violations can be submitted through the Get It Done app.

Amendments to 2022 California Building Standards Code Approved by City Council

The San Diego City Council recently approved amendments to the 2022 California Building Standards Code. The amendments, expected to be effective June 2023, will ensure the City enforces the most current building standards.

The amendments to the following types of code will be adopted into Chapters 12 and 14 of the San Diego Municipal Code (SDMC): Residential Code; Electrical Code; Mechanical Code; Plumbing Code; Green Building Standards Code; Existing Building Code.

Highlights of the amendments include:

• Update Dangerous Building Criteria: Various updates to SDMC §121.0403 to align with the existing California building code.
• Manufactured Home/Factory Built Housing: Update of SDMC §129.0202 to clarify that a Building Permit is required for the installation of Manufactured Housing (previously only Factory Built housing was addressed).
• Update Building Permit Exemptions. SDMC §129.0203 (a)(17)(21) to address the replacement of exterior doors to be treated like windows when the rough opening and weather protection is not altered.
•  Initial Utilization Period: Corrects SDMC §129.0219(a) to harmonize with the state requirement for a one-year initial utilization period for Building Permits in SDMC §129.0216.
• Efficiency Dwelling Unit: Update SDMC §145.1207 due to code renumbering from §145.1207 to §145.1208 and removal of increased floor area per occupant over two, which was not enforceable.
• Geotechnical Investigation: Correct inadvertent errors in triggers for Geotechnical Investigations adopted for 2010 California Building Code for retaining walls supporting surcharge with hazardous materials.
• The Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone: Updates reference to adopted map in SDMC §511.4904 (a) by amending the Building and Residential Building Regulations.  

For more information, view DSD’s “Proposed Local Amendments to the 2022 Code” webpage. 

Introducing the Downtown Development Toolkit

As we near the halfway mark of 2023, development permit and construction activities in Downtown San Diego are at an all-time high:

• 3,100 residential units under construction (+3,600 under review).
• 1.8 million square feet of office space under construction (+360,000 under review).
• 550,000 square feet of retail space under construction (+119,000 under review).
• 3,200 hotel rooms currently under review.

This level of activity is exceptional when compared to a majority of downtowns across the country, which are struggling to recover from the effects of the pandemic and the massive shift to remote work.

Moving forward, Downtown San Diego is well positioned for significant growth over the next decade with transformational development projects under construction including large employment campuses and a diverse range of housing types, paired with dynamic infrastructure projects, including a comprehensive system of cycleways and greenway streets, as well as several new parks. To capitalize on the recent investments in infrastructure and facilitate the level of new development envisioned in the Downtown Community Plan, DSD’s Urban Division recently unveiled the Downtown Development Toolkit.

This online toolkit can be found on the Urban Division’s webpage and serves as a comprehensive resource guide to facilitate development that advances the implementation of City Strategic Plan goals and policies. It highlights many of the recently enacted incentive programs explicitly created for Downtown San Diego and citywide incentives. Each program provides unique requirements and incentives, and each can be stacked or combined to achieve unlimited density at most locations within the Downtown Community Planning Area.

The toolkit includes clickable icons for each program with brief descriptions on how to earn additional density, waive specific requirements, or even achieve expedited processing. For more information about each program, the user can expand the dropdown within the pop-up to see the related code section.

Most incentive programs are contained within the Centre City Planned District Ordinance, which can be found in the quick links on the right-hand side of the Toolkit webpage, or at the bottom if on a mobile device. Other referenced code sections can be found in the Land Development Code, which is also linked within the quick links section. Users are also encouraged to follow up by booking a virtual appointment, in which they can meet with an Urban Division staff member.

We encourage you to check out the Downtown Development Toolkit and look forward to having you Build Downtown!

DSD Focuses on Building Safety All Year Long

The month of May is designated as Building Safety Month, but for DSD, the development and enforcement of building standards is a top priority 365 days a year.

Among several Building Safety Month activities last month, DSD staff participated in a Safety Assessment Program training course administered by the California Office of Emergency Services. The program ensures that qualified personnel - such as engineers, building inspectors and architects - can make assessments of building condition after a natural disaster and determine whether occupancy can safely resume.

It’s widely known that the City participants in the Building Permit process, but what some people may not know is that DSD engineers and building inspectors regularly perform safety assessments upon the request of the San Diego-Fire Rescue Department and the San Diego Police Department, including inspections of buildings damaged by fire, explosion, tree falls or vehicular impacts.

These after-hours field verifications, which are performed at all hours of the night and on weekends, are invaluable in helping homeowners, property owners and businesses recover from an emergency by determining whether occupancy can be resumed.

One such incident occurred in early 2021 when a speeding vehicle impacted the south wall of a house in South Bay, resulting in injuries to a mother and her two children, who were in bed on the other of the impacted wall.

DSD inspectors and engineers visited the scene the night of the incident and returned the next day for better visibility. During that second visit, they determined that the two-unit building had shifted off the foundation. The building was red-tagged, and deemed unsafe until repairs could be made.

New Life Science Industry Pilot Program Fosters Expansion and Success

The Life Science Industry Pilot Program provides dedicated resources and information to help the life science industry expand and succeed in San Diego. The services are designed to help the life science industry with its building permit needs, making it faster and easier to get permits, construct and obtain inspections.

Read more. Book a virtual appointment here.

DSD Creates 'Affordable Housing Permit Now' Program

In response to an executive order signed in January by Mayor Todd Gloria, DSD has created the “Affordable Housing Permit Now” program for 100% affordable housing projects and emergency shelters. The program launched on March 15.

Affordable Housing Permit Now is designed to help applicants meet project deadlines by guaranteeing review turnaround times (no greater than 30 business days), assigning specific subject matter experts to the reviews, and providing close coordination to address issues and questions that come up in the course of the review.

Its objective is to make it as fast and easy as possible for these critical projects to obtain permits. There are currently 10 projects participating, most of which are processing multiple permits that support the development of hundreds of affordable housing units. Read more.

New Accounting Team is Here to Help

The Business Operations & Support Services Division of DSD has created an Accountant Section that will take on managing the following responsibilities: Developer Contribution Fund, Deposit Accounts, Bond Releases, FAR Funds, Audits and Cashier Operations.

The team is led by Accountant 4 Cori Ryan, who has prior City experience in the Engineering & Capital Projects Department and the Department of Finance. The team is nearly fully staffed and as this section builds out, additional planned enhancements will be focused on the invoice and billing statements and project audits. 

San Diego Ranked 14^th in EPA's ENERGY STAR 2023 Top Cities List

San Diego was recently ranked 14^th in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) 2023 list of U.S. metropolitan areas with the most ENERGY STAR certified commercial and multi-family buildings in 2022.

“The ranking confirms our commitment to supporting the region’s building owners and managers as we all continue to reduce carbon emissions, save money and to make buildings more energy efficient in support of our climate action goals,” said Shelby Rust Busό, the City of San Diego’s Chief Sustainability Officer.

Cities are ranked on the list according to how many buildings in their area achieved ENERGY STAR certification in 2022. To earn the ENERGY STAR, a commercial building must have a score of 75 or higher (on a scale from 1 to 100), indicating that it is more energy efficient than 75% of similar buildings nationwide. In 2022, 170 San Diego-area buildings earned the ENERGY STAR.

Read more about the 2023 Top Cities list here.

Mobility Evaluation Tool to Help Estimate Travel Demand Management Measures as Part of New Development Projects

Using funding obtained from a Caltrans Sustainable Communities grant, the City of San Diego is developing a web-based tool called the “Mobility Evaluation Tool,” or MET, to estimate the effectiveness of travel demand management (TDM) measures proposed as part of new development projects.

The MET will incorporate the latest San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) regional transportation model data and will be sensitive to local contexts to consistently calculate potential reductions in vehicle miles traveled (VMT) for selected TDM features.

Additionally, the tool can assist in tracking new developments’ compliance with the Complete Communities: Mobility Choices Program.

For additional information and resources including training videos and user guides, visit here.

Please send questions to [email protected].

Planning Department Gathering Feedback on Housing Action Package 2.0 

We want your input! Following the adoption of the first Housing Action Package in 2022, the City continues to work on the second Housing Action Package as part of Mayor Todd Gloria’s “Homes for All of Us” initiative aimed at producing more homes across the City that people at all income levels can afford.

Housing Action Package (HAP) 2.0 will include programs and initiatives that will further facilitate the production of new homes by improving affordable housing programs, implementing state laws and introducing new initiatives.

After collecting feedback at four community workshops, the Planning Department released draft code language for review and comment. The Planning Commission also held a workshop to provide its input on the draft code language. Community members can visit the HAP 2.0 webpage to learn more and comment on each of the 11 proposed HAP 2.0 policies.

HAP 2.0 is anticipated to be heard by the San Diego City Council this summer. Please keep in mind that code amendment language is in draft form and could change based on feedback in the public engagement and public hearing process. 

City Asking for Public Input on Blueprint SD Draft Amendments 

The City wants your input on Blueprint SD. This initiative that will encourage sustainable growth to help the City achieve its climate goals and improve opportunities to walk, roll, bike and take transit. Blueprint SD will refresh the General Plan with policies that will support greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reductions and encourage people to use more sustainable forms of transportation consistent with the Climate Action Plan and the Regional Plan while also updating the City of Villages propensity map.

After gathering initial public input, the City released the discussion draft amendments to the General Plan this month for public review and feedback. Community members and stakeholders can review and provide their comments on the draft amendments to each of the elements of the General Plan, as well as a summary of the draft amendments on the Blueprint SD website. More public input opportunities will follow in the coming months.

Blueprint SD is expected to be considered by City Council by year's end. 

City Uses State Prohousing Designation to Apply for Affordable Housing Funds

The City is using its newly-earned status as a Prohousing city to apply for up to $5 million in affordable housing funds from the California Department of Housing & Community Development (HCD). If approved, San Diego would use the funds to support the immediate construction or acquisition of new homes for low-income residents and those currently experiencing homelessness.

In December, the City of San Diego was awarded a Prohousing Designation by HCD, which made it eligible to apply for and receive funding through the state’s Prohousing Incentive Pilot Program. The award recognizes policies and procedures adopted by the City to prioritize and expand new home construction. It also gives the City an advantage when competing for state funding for housing, including the Affordable Housing & Sustainable Communities grant, the Infill Infrastructure Grant and the Transformative Climate Communities program. The City of San Diego is one of 18 cities in the state that have been awarded this designation. 

Library of Training Videos and Webinars

DSD hosts free informational webinars that demonstrate new program features and help customers learn how to apply step-by-step for permits online. Please visit our Training Video and Webinars page to view recordings of past webinars.