Approval Process for Public Pay Telephone Installation
San Diego Municipal Code § 54.0505
in effect§54.0505 Approval Process for Public Pay Telephone Installation
(a) The owner of any public pay telephone located or maintained in violation of Section 54.0504(a), but installed under a written contract that was executed before February 2, 1994, shall remove the public pay telephone at the termination of the written contract.
(b) The owner of any public pay telephone shall give written notice to the San Diego Police Department and a City–recognized community planning group located within a “High Crime Area,” “Redevelopment Project Area” or “Redevelopment Study Area” when a public pay telephone is proposed for installation. The community planning group has thirty (30) days to respond to the Chief of Police. At the end of the thirty (30) days noticing period to the community planning group, the Chief of Police has an additional five (5) days to notify the telephone owner of the Police Department’s determination regarding installation of the pay telephone.
(c) If the San Diego Police Department opposes the pay telephone installation, the Chief of Police shall notify the public pay telephone owner. The Chief of Police, in cooperation with the public pay telephone owner, shall determine whether voluntary measures restricting installation as outlined in Section 54.0506 (b)(1) through Section 54.0506 (b)(8) are appropriate. The Chief of Police, in cooperation with public pay telephone owners, shall develop implementing guidelines for voluntary measures restricting installation.
(d) The Chief of Police shall notify the public pay telephone owner in writing of the decision to either approve, conditionally approve with restrictions or deny the application for the installation of public pay telephone.
The Chief of Police may conditionally approve or deny the application by finding that the proposed installation:
(1) is located in a “high crime,” “Redevelopment Project Area,” or “Redevelopment Study Area,” and
(2) has the potential to create “objectionable conditions that constitute a nuisance” as defined in Section 54.0502.
(e) If the Chief of Police conditionally approves with restrictions or denies a pay telephone owner’s request for pay telephone installation, then the pay telephone owner has ten (10) calendar days from the date of service of the order to appeal utilizing the procedures provided in subsections 12.0501 (c) and (d) (Administrative appeal Procedures) and Section 12.0502 (appeal hearing) of this Code.
(f) The Chief of Police shall report annually to the Public Safety and Neighborhood Services Committee, or any successor committee, on the effectiveness of monitoring the “High Crime Areas,” “Redevelopment Project Areas” and “Redevelopment Study areas” and recommend any needed geographic changes.
(g) The Chief of Police shall adopt procedures implementing this Division. The Chief of Police shall mail to public pay telephone owners in January of each year a map of impacted areas, a copy of the regulations, and a list of community planning groups and their addresses.
(h) The San Diego Police Department, Crime Analysis Unit will maintain a file and make available a map reflecting the location of “High Crime Areas” within the meaning of this Section 54.0502.
(“Approval Process for Public Pay Telephone Installation added 1–29–1996 by O–18254 N.S.)
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/MuniCodeChapter05/Ch05Art04Division05.pdf#page=3Fetched: 10/28/2026