San Diego residents still picking up the pieces from devastating floods on Jan. 22 will have some relief as the city will waive fees starting Tuesday for demolition, recycling and other recovery efforts.
The San Diego City Council approved the fee waiver program on Monday night. The plan, proposed by Mayor Todd Gloria, also waives fees for building permits and will designate them as "high priority" for review and approval.
"The city has the back of the residents who suffered major damage in the disastrous storm, and we're bringing every resource to bear to ease their burden," Gloria said. "Lowering the costs of rebuilding is just one of the many ways residents have told us we can help them recover and rebuild their lives, and these fee waivers can save them thousands of dollars."
Early estimates have as many as 1,000 San Diego residents suffering damage to homes, businesses and personal property in the Jan. 22 storm, with a majority of them in the communities of Mountain View, Encanto, Mount Hope, Shelltown, Southcrest and Rolando.
"The savings from the fee waiver, which will cover reconstruction or repair of structures the same size as the one that was damaged, is projected to save residents approximately $2.41 million in total," a city statement read. "Any residents who may have already paid building or demolition permit fees to the city will be eligible for reimbursement."
Monday's action also established a Debris Assistance Program, which would allow for debris-management services at no cost to eligible flooded properties. The program, coordinated through the Environmental Services Department, is intended to provide a container or trash bin that will be delivered at addresses within the impacted areas for proper handling, recycling and/or disposal of demolition waste.
According to the mayor's office, the fee waiver does not include fees for the expansion of structures over those that were destroyed or damaged, but the city will provide permit amnesty for storm victims who wish to permit and reconstruct previously unpermitted additions.
The city's Local Assistance Center has been transferred to an online portal at sandiego.gov/recovery. There, residents can apply for permits, get information on how to locate lost vehicles, document replacement and other recovery efforts.
In addition to the online services, assistance will be available to anyone in-person at the Mountain View/Beckwourth Library, 721 San Pasqual St., on Tuesdays from noon to 7 p.m., and Thursdays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Though another storm last week resulted in no reports of heavy damage locally, widespread flood-related destruction from the much worse spate of downpours in late January prompted Gov. Gavin Newsom earlier this month to seek an official disaster declaration from President Joe Biden to help the San Diego region recover.
"The late-January storm saw record-breaking rain in San Diego, where the worst impacts were felt in lower-income neighborhoods," Newsom noted. "Many folks saw damage to their life's work that can't be recovered without federal support."
The action would help hard-hit locals via eligibility for such support as housing assistance, vehicle replacement, food aid, counseling, medical services and legal services, according to the governor's office.
