Daily Business Report: Nov. 29, 2023
Not your grandma’s granny flat: How San Diego hacked
state housing law to build ADU ‘apartment buildings’
By Ben Christopher | CalMatters
In the minds of most Californians, accessory dwelling units — ADUs, short — bring to mind words like “small,” “subtle” and “cute.”
None of which describe the side-by-side ADU duplexes on E Street.
Perched at the edge of San Diego’s desirable Golden Hill neighborhood, there’s nothing dainty or diminutive about these three-story structures. “Backyard cottage” is another term used to describe accessory dwelling units, but these are out front, practically hiding the five-unit multiplex to which they are technically “accessory.”
Like dozens of small and not-so-small apartment buildings across San Diego, the structures on E Street are ADUs in only one way: They were permitted under the city’s ADU Bonus Program.
The city’s one-of-a-kind ordinance offers landlords a one-for-one deal. If they agree to construct an ADU and keep the rent low enough for San Diegans making under a certain income, they’re automatically permitted to build a second “bonus” unit, which they can rent at whatever price they like.
In parts of the city far from public transit, the 2021 city program offers a one-off: Alongside the main house and the two ADUs already permitted under state law, the city allows for a maximum of five units on one property.
But in bus-and train-adjacent “transit priority” areas — a designation that covers much of San Diego’s urban core — a landlord can alternate affordable and bonus units again and again and again. Technically, there are limits. City zoning set a maximum height on buildings, and a more complicated regulatory formula caps how much built floorspace can dominate a parcel.
But you can squeeze in an awful lot of ADUs within those parameters. Hence, the project on E Street: A single family lot with nine apartment units on it, four of them ADUs, two of them affordable. And that’s not an especially extravagant use of the program.
Photo: An ADU complex in the Golden Hill neighborhood of San Diego on Nov. 2, 2023. (Photo by Adriana Heldiz, CalMatters)
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Barnhart-Reese Construction completes 2
military projects totaling $31.9 million
Barnhart-Reese Construction (BRC) has completed two military installation projects, a Mess Hall Building for Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, and an Academic Training Building at Naval Air Weapons Station, China Lake.
The company provided design-build services for renovations and repairs to the 15,195-square-foot Mess Hall Building at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton. Originally built in 1980, the $9.4 million renovation included reconfiguring the kitchen, serving, and dining areas to be more in-line with current serving and dining methodologies. Upgrades were made to the electrical, plumbing, HVAC/cooling, and refrigeration systems to reflect the new kitchen configuration, as well as new roofing and wall repairs.
For the Naval Air Weapons Station, China Lake, BRC rebuilt the existing two-story training building that was severely damaged during the July 2019 Ridgecrest earthquakes. BRC replaced the damage structure with a $22.5 million, 16,000-square-foot Academic Training Building.
Both projects were designed by Design-Build Team Architect Delawie.
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A.S. Food Pantry: A food bank open for all SDSU students
By Paulina Castellanos Wade | SDSU
Created by Associated Students (A.S.) and financially supported by Aztecs Rock Hunger, the A.S. Food Pantry pursues the purpose of providing free nutritious food for San Diego State University students who may encounter difficulties. Whether a student needs help reducing their monthly grocery budget or just needs a quick snack on a study break, the food pantry is designed to meet all needs.
“You can be anyone. You don’t have to prove anything. You don’t have to have a certain income level or anything like that. The food pantry is open for everyone,” said Cordelia Levesque, a junior majoring in public health and the vice chair of the Aztecs Rock Hunger board.
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UC San Diego physicist and psychologist awarded
$7.5 million for new Alzheimer’s detection method
By Debra Bass | UC San Diego
UC San Diego’s Center for Scientific Computation in Imagint has received a $7.5 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to continue its interdisciplinary exploration of diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (dMRI) work related to Alzheimer’s disease. This collaborative effort is led by Lawrence R. Frank, Ph.D., a physicist, professor in the Department of Radiology and director of CSCI in the Institute of Engineering in Medicine.
The team includes Distinguished Professor of Psychiatry Mark W. Bondi, co-lead; co-lead Elizabeth Hutchinson, an assistant professor of biomedical engineering at the University of Arizona who leads a multi-scale brain imaging lab and Vitaly Galinsky, a computational physicist at CSCI.
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Cal State San Marcos to host Palliative Care Professional Conference
By Brian Hiro | Cal State San Marcos
Cal State San Marcos will welcome up to 100 palliative care professionals, educators and students on Dec. 1 when it holds the sixth annual CSUSM Palliatie Care Professional Conference. The day-long event will be hosted by the campus arm of the CSU Shiley Haynes Institute for Palliative Care, which has been housed at CSUSM for 10 years.
The theme of the conference is “Charting the Course: Supporting Patients and Families Through Serious Illness and Beyond.” It will be co-hosted by the San Diego Coalition for Compassionate Care, a grass-roots organization that collaborates with other local and statewide stakeholders in advance care planning and palliative care.
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Alondra Alvarado to lead San Diego Hunger Coalition
Alondra Alvarado has been named the next president and CEO of the San Diego Hunger Coalition, effective Dec. 1.
She will replace Anahid Brakke. Alvarado joined the organization as director of marketing and communication in June 2023.
Alvarado has volunteered in a variety of organizations such as Castro-Limón Foundation in Mexico and Reality Changers in San Diego.
She also has served as board secretary of San Diego & Imperial County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.
She is a graduate of LEAD Advance, San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce’s leadership program.
Tom Murphy joins Calibre One as partner
Calibre One, a leading global executive search boutique, has appointed industry veteran Tom Murphy as partner. Working from the company’s San Diego office, Murphy bolsters Calibre One’s Southern California presence as the company continues to expand its healthcare and life sciences practice.
Murphy will focus his practice on recruiting for vice president to c-suite and above to board of director positions.
He has served as a partner at three executiv search firms.
SDG&E recognized for wildfire mitigation technology
San Diego Gas & Electric has been honored by Public Utilities Fortnightly with a 2023 Bertha Lamme Top Innovator Award for developing and using the Wildfire Next Generation System (WINGS), to help protect communities it serves from regional wildfire risk. WINGS is a cloud-based tool that combines visual representations of SDG&E’s infrastructure with real-time weather data and information from wildfire mitigation initiative.
County hosts rainwater harvesting workshop on Dec. 16
The County of San Diego is hosting a rainwater harvesting workshop distributing free rain barrels in Mt. Helix/La Mesa on Saturday, Dec. 16 in support of county water quality and climate action planning goals. The workshop is at 1p.m. at Dixieline, 3607 Avocado Blvd., La Mesa. The workshops are open to the public and there is no cost to attend, but only participants who live in the unincorporated area will be eligible to receive a free rain barrel.
Participants can learn more about the workshops and sign up here.
City of Santee honored for excellence in financial reporting
The City of Santee has received the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada’s (GFOA) Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting for its Annual Comprehensive Financial Report (ACFR) for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2022. The Certificate of Achievement is the highest form of recognition in governmental accounting and financial reporting, and its attainment represents a significant accomplishment by a government and its management.
San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance
to take part in the 135th Rose Parade
For the third consecutive year, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance will partner with the Tournament of Roses in Pasadena and participate in the 135th Rose Parade presented by Honda on New Year’s Day. San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance’s parade float theme — “It Began with a Roar”— will feature a myriad of heartwarming stories from the San Diego Zoo that have inspired generations to care for and protect wildlife.
Centera Holdings announces close of Avantax acquisition
Avantax Inc. and Cetera Holdings, the holding company of Cetera Financial Group in San Diego, announced the successful completion of Cetera’s acquisition of Avantax. Avantax is now a community within the Cetera family with 3,111 financial professionals, representing $82.3 billion in assets under administration and $42 billion in assets under management as of Sept. 30., 2023.
Blanchard announces relaunch of Blanchard Institute
Blanchard, a global pioneer in leadership development, consulting, and coaching, announced the reimagined and expanded offerings of Blanchard Institute, including a new logo, mission, vision, and website to better serve the students they teach and the adults who lead them. Blanchard Institute, a nonprofit organization founded by Ken and Margie Blanchard, is part of the corporate social responsibility program at Blanchard. Blanchard Institute has been empowering young leaders for more than 20 years.
Neurelis secures United States patent
Neurelis, Inc., a neuroscience company focused on the development and commercialization of therapeutics for the treatment of epilepsy and orphan neurologic disorders, announced that it has secured the issuance of United States Patent No. 11,793,786. The patent covers VALTOCO and other pharmaceutical solutions for nasal administration consisting of diazepam or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof in combination with specific ranges of one or more natural or synthetic tocopherols or tocotrienols, benzyl alcohol, and n-dodecyl beta-D-maltoside.
Martin Khalaf joins Alliant Insurance Services
Alliant Insurance Services has hired Martin Khalaf as senior vice president within its Alliant Americas division. Based in San Diego, Khalaf will service a diverse portfolio of clients across the West Coast. An experienced risk adviser with a broad industry focus, Khalaf will leverage his expertise in property and casualty insurance, risk management and safety to provide comprehensive solutions to clients. Prior to joining Alliant, Khalaf was senior vice president within the San Diego office of a global insurance brokerage and consulting firm.
