Supplemental Development Regulations
San Diego Municipal Code § 143.1025
in effect§143.1025 Supplemental Development Regulations
Development utilizing the regulations in this Division must comply with the following Supplemental Development Regulations and may not utilize the waivers provided in Section 143.1010(g) to deviate from the requirements in Section 143.1025.
(a) Pedestrian Circulation Space. All development shall include the following pedestrian circulation improvements:
(1) Urban Parkway Requirements. The applicant shall provide an urban parkway that is at least 14 feet in width measured from the face of the curb or at a width required per Section 142.0670(a)(4), whichever is greater. For a premises that is less than 25,000 square feet, an applicant may elect to provide a bicycle repair station, a wayfinding sign, public seating, a public drinking fountain or a smart kiosk, in lieu of an urban parkway. All development in Section 143.1025 shall meet the minimum parkway requirements in Section 142.0670(a)(4).
(A) Clear Path. The urban parkway shall include a clear path of travel, free of obstructions and be at least 8 feet in width. This shall be a public concrete paved walkway that is specifically designed for pedestrian travel. It excludes any area primarily designed for use by vehicles or the conveyance of storm water, any area planted with landscaping, or any area primarily consisting of dirt or sand; and
(B) Buffer Area. The urban parkway shall include a buffer area to separate the clear path from the parking, driving, or vehicular travel lane. The buffer area shall be at least six feet in width and shall include street trees, which may be located within tree grates or a continuous planter strip in accordance with Section 142.0670(a)(4).
(C) An applicant may meet the urban parkway minimum width requirement in Section 143.1025(a)(1) by providing a public space fronting the urban parkway if all the following requirements are met:
(i) Up to four feet of the urban parkway may be satisfied through the provision of a public space fronting the urban parkway, so long as the minimum parkway requirements in Section 142.0670(a)(4) and Community Plan Implementation Overlay Zone regulations in Chapter 13, Article 2, Division 14, or Community Enhancement Overlay Zone regulations in Chapter 13, Article 2, Division 16, if applicable, are met;
(ii) Any portion of the parkway used to meet the urban parkway width requirement shall not be used to meet the public space alternative requirement in Section 143.1020(b);
(iii) The applicant shall record a maintenance agreement ensuring that the public space shall be maintained in perpetuity;
(iv) The public space shall be accessible to the public at all times;
(v) The public space fronting the urban parkway shall use different paving material from the urban parkway to delineate the area;
(vi) The applicant for the development shall record a pedestrian access easement for the public space fronting the urban parkway to the satisfaction of the City Engineer;
(vii) A minimum of one sign indicating the public space is open to the public shall be provided for at least every 200 feet of street frontage; and
(viii) An upper story of a building with a finish floor elevation of more than 25 feet above a public space may have balconies, building elements, or habitable space that shall only project over the public space fronting the urban parkway.
(2) Street trees. At least one, 24-inch box canopy form tree is required for each 20 feet of street frontage. The street frontage excludes curb cuts and required clearances for designated bus stops. The installed tree spacing and location may be varied to accommodate site conditions or design considerations.
(3) Above-ground utility placement within the sidewalk and/or pedestrian path is prohibited.
(4) Each dwelling unit on the ground floor fronting a public right-of-way or a private drive shall have a separate ground floor entrance or path adjacent to the public right-of-way or a private drive.
(b) Communities of Concern. For all development within Communities of Concern, prior to the issuance of any Building Permit, the applicant shall hold at least two community workshops to provide information and receive feedback on the development design.
(c) Standards for Buildings over 95 feet in Height of Premises over 20,000 Square Feet in Area. For the purposes of Section 143.1025, bulk and scale are divided into the two main areas of the building base and the tower. Buildings over 95 feet in height located on a premises over 20,000 square feet in area, outside of the Centre City Planned District, shall comply with the following requirements:
(1) For a development that includes one or more structures over 95 feet in height, or development which exceeds the height limit of the base zone, whichever is greater, a Neighborhood Development Permit decided in accordance with Process Two is required.
(2) For the purposes of Section 143.1025, building base means the structural envelope located immediately above existing grade, proposed grade, or a basement. The maximum height of the building base shall be 95 feet.
(3) The minimum height of the street wall shall be 30 feet.
(4) A street wall shall be provided for 70 percent of the building frontage along the public right-of-way, with the following exceptions, which may be subtracted from the length of the frontage:
(A) Publicly or privately-owned plazas, promenades, or public spaces;
(B) Courtyard entrances up to 30 feet wide for residential uses;
(C) Recessed entrances up to a maximum of 25 feet in width and a maximum of 15 feet in depth;
(D) Entries into interior or auto courts, or auto drop-offs may be allowed behind the required street wall; and
(E) Areas where the existing grade of the public right-of-way differs from the building pad by more than two feet.
(5) For the purposes of Section 143.1025, tower means the structural envelope located immediately above the building base to the top of the building.
(A) The maximum lot coverage of the tower shall be 75 percent of the lot coverage of the building base.
(B) Within a single development, towers shall be separated by a minimum of 50 feet.
(6) Development must comply with the private open space and common open space requirements of the applicable base zone or Planned District.
(d) Buffer from Adjacent Freeways. Development, except for development within the Centre City Planned District, on a premises within 50 feet of a freeway shall comply with the following:
(1) A 10-foot minimum landscaped buffer shall be provided between the residential and commercial uses and the freeway; and
(2) Outdoor areas such as patios, parks, plazas, and other common spaces used by residents, customers, or members of the public shall be oriented away from the freeway.
(e) Transition to Adjacent Residential Single-Unit Zones. Development on a premises directly adjacent to a Residential Single--Unit (RS) zone where an existing dwelling unit is located on the adjacent premises, shall comply with the following criteria:
(1) The height incentive shall be limited to a height increase of up to 3 stories or 33 feet above the height limit of the base zone, whichever is less.
(2) Incorporate a transition plane in the development that does not exceed a 65-degree angle. No building, architectural projection or encroachment may extend into the transition plane. The transition plane for the development shall be measured from the existing grade of the shared property line with the RS zone. Where the shared property line is a rear property line, the transition plane shall extend 1/3 of the lot depth or 25 feet, whichever is less. Where the shared property line is a side property line, the transition plane shall extend 1/3 of the lot width or 25 feet, whichever is less.
(“Supplemental Development Regulations” added 12-9-2020 by O-21275 N.S.; effective 1-8-2021.) (Amended 1-27-2022 by O-21416 N.S.; effective 2-26-2022.) (Amended 9-21-2022 by O-21528 N.S; effective 10-23-2022.) (Amended 3-7-2023 by O-21618 N.S.; effective 5-6-2023.) (Amended 1-16-2024 by O-21758 N.S.; effective 3-16-2024.) (Amended 7-22-2024 by O-21836 N.S.; effective 10-5-2024.) (Amended 1-21-2026 by O-22050 N.S.; effective 3-22-2026.)
[Editors Note: Amendments as adopted by O-22050 N.S. will not apply within the Coastal Overlay Zone until the California Coastal Commission certifies it as a Local Coastal Program Amendment. Click the link to view the Strikeout Ordinance highlighting changes to prior language http://docs.sandiego.gov/municode_strikeout_ord/O-22050-SO.pdf ]
(Amended 6-15-2026 by O-22109 N.S.; effective 7-15-2026.)
[Editors Note: Amendments as adopted by O-22109 N.S. will not apply within the Coastal Overlay Zone until the California Coastal Commission certifies it as a Local Coastal Program Amendment. Click the link to view the Strikeout Ordinance highlighting changes to prior language http://docs.sandiego.gov/municode_strikeout_ord/O-22109-SO.pdf ]
Source: City of San Diego Office of the City Clerk, San Diego Municipal Code and City Charter (docs.sandiego.gov PDFs)URL: https://docs.sandiego.gov/municode/MuniCodeChapter14/Ch14Art03Division10.pdf#page=26Fetched: 10/28/2026