Pacific Beach ADU project paused as judge orders city of San Diego to stop permits

A controversial housing development planned for Pacific Beach is on hold after a judge ordered the City of San Diego to stop processing permits for the project.

The proposed development, known as Chalcifica, includes 136 accessory dwelling units (ADUs) at a busy Pacific Beach intersection. While the project is not officially canceled, the injunction prevents the city from moving forward with permits for now.

Neighbors opposed to the project argue the density is impractical for the area, saying the intersection is already congested during rush hour and that parking would be difficult. They also question whether the site is truly close enough to public transportation to justify the number of units.

The legal fight comes as a longtime resident said he has to move out from the property slated for redevelopment.

Ronald Werner, a Vietnam veteran, has lived on the property for more than 30 years and says he has less than two months to move.

“It’s been very difficult for me to just up and leave after 31 years,” Werner said.

“I’m pretty much living check to check,” he added.

The court’s injunction does not appear to change Werner’s situation.

“I still gotta get out of here,” he said.

Merv Thompson, chair of Neighbors for a Better Pacific Beach, lives nearby and hopes the project is permanently stopped.

“This ain’t a granny flat. Or a series of granny flats. This is a disguised apartment complex that shouldn’t be here,” Thompson said.

The City of San Diego said in a statement that it has not issued any permits for the project and was never planning to approve it as proposed. The city added that the development had already been flagged for further analysis before the judge’s ruling.

Supporters of increased housing density say projects like this highlight the broader housing shortage in coastal San Diego neighborhoods.

“It’s very clear that the coastal area has a housing shortage from PB to OB,” said Saad Asad with San Diego’s YIMBY Democrats.

Asad said easing some height restrictions in coastal areas could allow more housing to be built where people already live.

“There’s already lots of land that is underused and could house a lot more folks,” he said.

For Werner, the uncertainty surrounding the project adds to the stress of finding a new place to live as the legal battle continues between the city, the developer and neighbors over whether the site could one day house hundreds of people.

“It’s difficult to keep it together, I’ve got quite an upset stomach for some time,” he said.

Developer SDRE provided NBC 7 a statement, saying “This court proceeding was not unexpected, and will not deter us from continuing its mission, consistent with the State of California’s goals regarding building new housing, and the City’s objective to meet those goals. Our immediate and practical residential housing solutions provide residents with opportunities to live in our region that they otherwise would not be able to afford, and help to alleviate San Diego’s severe housing shortage.”

This story was originally reported for broadcast by NBC San Diego. AI tools helped convert the story to a digital article, and an NBC San Diego journalist edited the article for publication.