San Diego ends seasonal ban on beach-area construction to speed up projects

Workers pour cement at a construction site for an office tower in downtown San Diego REUTERS Mike Blake File Photo In a move aimed at accelerating infrastructure improvements and reducing costs the city of San Diego has officially lifted its long-standing moratorium on inhabitants and private construction in beach communities during the busy summer months For decades the city halted construction in the citizens right-of-way between Memorial Day and Labor Day to accommodate the influx of tourists While well-intentioned this pause often delayed essential upgrades and pushed projects over budget For decades projects were stalled during the summer delaying improvements for residents Now we can get streets paved and infrastructure improvements completed faster reported Mayor Todd Gloria The removal of this restriction is one way we re cutting red tape and finding creative solutions across city departments to improve provision to residents Mayor Gloria first raised the issue in his State of the City address questioning whether the seasonal prohibition still made sense given the city s ongoing infrastructure demands He argued that ending the practice could lead to faster completion timelines and taxpayer savings With the moratorium lifted 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 Society outreach efforts will increase to keep local businesses residents and visitors informed during construction The city s construction engineer will have discretion to waive the former moratorium requirements on existing projects Similarly traffic control permits for private maturation will no longer enforce summer restrictions by default However projects under the California Coastal Commission s jurisdiction must still follow the commission s permit conditions Applicants are encouraged to request waivers from the commission if summer work is restricted under those conditions By removing outdated limitations and promoting flexibility the city hopes to accelerate long-needed improvements while maintaining transparency and minimizing disruption for coastal communities