The city of San Diego has formally relaxed its long-standing ban on public and private building in coastal areas during the peak summer months in an effort to speed up infrastructure improvements and cut costs.
To handle the surge of visitors, the city stopped building in the public right-of-way between Memorial Day and Labor Day for decades. Despite its good intentions, this halt frequently caused projects to go over budget and postpone necessary modifications.
Improvements for locals were delayed for decades as a result of summer project stalls. Mayor Todd Gloria stated, “We can now finish infrastructure upgrades and paving streets more quickly.” One way we’re reducing red tape and coming up with innovative solutions across city agencies to enhance citizen service is by removing this restriction.
In his 2025 State of the City address, Mayor Gloria brought up the subject for the first time, asking if the seasonal ban was still appropriate in light of the city’s continuing infrastructural requirements. He maintained that stopping the practice might result in shorter completion times and financial savings for the government.
Now that the moratorium has ended:
- City and private construction crews can now work year-round, improving efficiency.
- Projects in beach areas will be evaluated for additional mitigation measures to minimize impacts to street traffic, parking, and sidewalks.
- Community outreach efforts will increase to keep local businesses, residents, and visitors informed during construction.
The prior moratorium rules on ongoing projects may be waived at the discretion of the city’s construction engineer. Likewise, private development traffic control permits will no longer automatically enforce summer limits.
Projects falling under the California Coastal Commission’s purview, meanwhile, are nevertheless subject to the commission’s permission requirements. If summer work is prohibited under specific circumstances, applicants are urged to ask the commission for exceptions.
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The city intends to expedite long-overdue upgrades while preserving transparency and causing the least amount of disturbance to coastal residents by eliminating antiquated restrictions and encouraging flexibility.
