City of San Diego Future Zoning Changes

All you need to do is fill out a form.

One sometimes misunderstood advantage of filing a Preliminary Review with the City of San Diego (Form DS-375) is that this application can be used as a way to lock in current zoning regulations for your housing development project and avoid pending zoning changes. It is necessary that you have a well-researched schematic design and are able to efficiently complete construction documents in order for this tool to be worthwhile. The benefit is that this can give you ease of mind knowing that the zoning regulations you spent so much time researching are frozen, given that you can complete construction drawings within 6 months and start construction within the next 2.5 years. When you fill out the Preliminary Review Questionnaire (Form DS-375), complete all information requested in the Senate Bill (SB) 330 Checklist on the form. This can be a great insurance policy for multi-family developers, potentially saving you from project-killing changes. Given San Diego's active community planning efforts and the current political environment, this protection is more valuable than ever.

Common Mistakes to Avoid:

Incomplete submittals - Make sure you provide ALL information on the SB 330 checklist. Missing items may mean you're not "deemed submitted."

Missing the 180-day deadline – An application for either a Discretionary Permit or Building Permit must be submitted within 180 days, so add this deadline to your Calendar immediately. If you need more time, communicate with your Project Manager.

Changing the project >20% - This triggers need for new preliminary application and new vesting date.

Assuming you need City approval - You DON'T. Once submitted with all info + fee, you're automatically vested.

Online Resources:

Form DS-375: Available at sandiego.gov/development-services/forms

Information Bulletin 513: "Preliminary Review" (explains SB 330 process)

ZAPP (Zoning and Parcel Information Portal): Check current zoning before filing