The Pacific Beach Planning Group (PBPG) at its monthly meeting Dec. 8 voted 6-2 against advisory approval for the construction of two single-family homes in the 1200 block of Oliver Avenue, in place of apartment buildings currently standing. Despite the project’s adherence to San Diego building code regulations, the PBPG did not approve the construction because the project includes carports and not a garage with each home. The project was designed and presented to the PBPG by La Jolla architect Daniel Linn. “There’s no violation of the municipal code on those plans,” Linn said. The PBPG’s role in the community is to ensure that Pacific Beach continues to adhere to the community plan, PBPG Chair John Shannon said. The subject of carports has risen at prior PBPG meetings because of a seeming trend for builders to include carports in new construction instead of garages, because the square footage of a carport does not count against the maximum square feet of living space allowed on the respective lots. The PBPG has found examples of homeowners enclosing the carports — a San Diego municipal code violation — as a garage would be closed. Homeowners can then use the closed structure as additional living space or storage, which is not an intended use of a carport, PBPG members said. Some members of the group feel that the San Diego Neighborhood Code is not being enforced adequately. Curtis Patterson and Greg Daunoras cast the minority votes. Patterson supported the project, stating that the PBPG should not punish people who are following code. In doing so, the group will lose credibility with city officials, he said. “This code was written in 2000. Here it is 2010,” Linn said. Linn explained the projects further in a phone interview after the meeting. Each lot would be approximately 25-feet by 125-feet. The maximum square footage is relative to the size of the lot, he said. By not counting a 400-square-foot carport in the total square footage of the property, that creates an additional 400 square-feet of living space, which can be attractive to homeowners, Linn said. Single-family homes enhance the quality of the neighborhood by providing a residence, which someone will purchase and will, in turn, become vested in the community, he said. “I understand their frustration,” Linn said. “They are trying to, in a sense, protect their neighborhood.” He said if the PBPG can get the rules changed, he and others in the field will meld to it. But in the meantime, the code remains in place. “If code compliance won’t do their job, then we have to adjust to that,” said Scott Chipman, PBPG board member. The PBPG’s decision not to grant approval of the project does not mean the project will not be built. But the vote will be noted by the city’s project manager, at which point it may or may not stand in the way of achieving the necessary permits, Linn said. “The reality is that as long as all the regulations are met, the city is obligated to issue the permit,” Linn said.