The ordinance – which still must get City Council and mayoral support – would allow ADUs in all designated Hillside areas of Los Angeles except where a Hillside Construction Regulation (HCR) Supplemental Use District (SUD) has been established. Even then, ADUs could be permitted in HCR SUDs if the ADU is proposed for a lawfully existing detached accessory structure or will be fully contained within a lawfully existing single-family dwelling.
The unanimous vote last week by the CPC was a victory for those who believe ADUs are an important option in the city’s quest to address its housing shortage. Advocates of the draft ordinance said that homeowners in Hillside areas should be allowed to add second residences such as granny flats or servants’ quarters just as homeowners in other parts of the city are allowed. Opponents of the proposal said that adding additional residences to Hillside areas will exacerbate those neighborhoods’ fire and safety issues.
The ADU ordinance voted on by the City Planning Commission still has to be reviewed by the City Attorney’s Office and a final, draft ordinance prepared and submitted for City Council review. The City Council’s Planning & Land Use Management (PLUM) Committee is expected to vote on the City Attorney’s draft ordinance first. Once approved by PLUM, the ordinance will go to the City Council for a vote. If approved by the City Council, it will then be forwarded to Mayor Garcetti for his signature. The entire process from this point forward typically takes several months and could take a year or more if PLUM committee members send the draft back to City Planning with requested changes.
In the meantime, the current ADU rules are in effect. They were written by the state and became effective on Jan. 1, 2017. The new city ADU ordinance – if approved by the City Council and signed by the mayor – will replace the state rules.
The ordinance approved by the CPC can be found at this link:
Approved ADU Ordinance (pdf)
The current ADU rules can be found at this link:
Current ADU Rules (pdf)
Previously on LandUseLA: Planning Commission to Consider New ADU Rules
http://www.landusela.com/blog/planning-commission-to-consider-new-adu-rules