How ADUs have impacted the Clairemont neighborhood known for single-family homes

If you ask people who live in Clairemont what they love about it, many will say it is quiet, family-oriented and still close to the hustle-and-bustle of downtown and the beaches, but not too close. 

“We only looked in Clairemont when we were looking for a home,” Shawn Cox, who lives in the community with his wife and two sons, told NBC 7. “It’s basically the perfect neighborhood in San Diego.”

Cox moved into his home after purchasing it a decade ago. He said if they were looking to purchase the same home now, they would likely not be able to afford it because of rising real estate costs in the area. He also told NBC 7 that a lot has changed, including the addition of Accessory Dwelling Units, or ADUs.

“At first, I was like, ‘OK, progress. We need homes. We need places for people to live,’ but now it is turning into this almost predatory thing where every time somebody moves on and the home is available, somebody comes in and buys it and puts up ADUs,” Cox said. 

There is an ADU complex nearby his home where a single-family home was turned into a rental unit, the garage was turned into another and at least 10 additional units, or ADUs, replaced what was the backyard. He said it has exacerbated the pre-existing parking issue within the neighborhood’s narrow streets and he is concerned for what’s to come if more are added. 

“Are we going to have problems parking at our own house that we pay the mortgage and taxes for?” he posed. 

NBC 7 spoke with one of the residents of the ADU complex, Karlie Boyd. She said she moved into the front home in August along with three roommates. All of them are recent college graduates and wanted to move away from their campus and to a quieter, safer area. 

“House hunting is definitely tough, especially when you're on a budget,” Boyd said. “Being in a safe neighborhood, where obviously it's a lot of families and a lot of people come to settle down and live and raise their kids, was good for us.” 

She said if it weren’t for the uniqueness of the complex she lives within, she likely would not have been able to afford to be in a neighborhood like the one she's in now. Despite that, she is receptive to those who feel ADUs are not what the community, especially Clairemont, needs. 

“I completely understand where people come from. I think if it was me and I was living in a single-family home with my family, I would be upset,” Boyd told NBC 7. “It’s about balance.”

According to the city of San Diego’s development services department, 340 ADU/Junior Accessory Dwelling Unit (JADU) permits were granted within the 92117 zip code, which encompasses some of Clairemont, since 2020. If you combine that with 233 permits granted within the 92111 zip code, which includes the rest of Clairemont but also Linda Vista, it brings the total to 573 ADU/JADU permits granted since 2020. However, it is important to note that multiple permits can be needed for one ADU. So, the numbers do not necessarily correlate to the total number of developments within either zip code. 

“It’s really been tough on Clairemont,” said San Diego Councilmember Jennifer Campbell, who represents District 2, which includes the neighborhood. “We don’t want to overbuild and over-densify, otherwise we’re going to become Los Angeles.”

Campbell said she feels as though the issue is that the city of San Diego added the Bonus ADU Program, on top of the state’s ADU program, that essentially allows for unlimited ADUs on a lot so long as they comply with a square foot ratio requirement.

“For every ADU, you can have one bonus if you promise to rent it out in a middle-income type of affordable rent,” Campbell told NBC 7. “That has about a 15-year-limit on it and a lot of builders have used that as an excuse to build very high, small spaces, stack them on top of each other.” 

The city’s planning department is within a 90-day period to review the ADU program and suggest any changes, Campbell said, and any members of the public are encouraged to reach out to them to share their feedback now. 

“I think from the few large apartment-like complexes that have been built behind these houses, we can tell that this is the wrong way to go,” Campbell said.