San Pablo City Council
September 16, 2024

Sep 3, 2024
CityofSanPablo1000GatewayAveSanPablo,CA94806
ByEmail:[email protected];[email protected];[email protected];[email protected];[email protected] CC:[email protected];[email protected];[email protected];[email protected] Re:ProposedAmendmentstoSanPablo’sADUOrdinance
DearSanPabloCityCouncil,
TheCaliforniaHousingDefenseFund(“CalHDF”)submitsthisletterregardingagendaitem12fortheSeptember3,2024CityofSanPablo(“theCity”)Councilmeeting,anamendmenttotheCity’saccessorydwellingunit(“ADU”)ordinance.CalHDFwritestohighlightanumberofareasinwhichtheproposedordinancedoesnotcomplywithstatelaw.

Background
ThelawgiveslocalgovernmentsauthoritytoenactzoningordinancesthatimplementavarietyofdevelopmentstandardsonADUs.(Gov.Code,§66314.)ThestandardsintheselocalordinancesarelimitedbystatelawsoasnottooverlyrestrictADUdevelopment.(Seeid.)SeparatelyfromlocalADUordinances,Gov.Code,§66323prescribesanarrowersetofADUtypesforwhichitimposesaministerialdutyoncitiestoapprove.“NotwithstandingSections66314to66322...alocalagencyshallministeriallyapprove”thesetypesofADUs.(Id.atsubd.(a).)ThismeansthatADUsthatsatisfytheminimalrequirementsofsection66323mustbeapprovedregardlessofanycontraryprovisionsofthelocalADUordinance.(Ibid.)Inaddition,ADUsthatqualifyfortheprotectionsofGov.Code,§66323,likeotherADUs,mustbeprocessedbylocalgovernmentswithin60daysofacompletepermitapplicationsubmittal.(Gov.Code,§66317,subd.(a).)) ImpermissibleDevelopmentStandards
ProposedSanPabloCode(“SPC”)Section17.60.070(D)(2)(b)(ii)requiresfrontsetbacksoftheunderlyingzoningdistrict“unlessthefrontsetbackrequirementwouldbeprohibitiveofan 360GrandAve#323,[email protected]

ADUofupto800squarefeet…”However,forADUsthatmeettherequirementsofGovernmentCodeSection66323,subd.(a)(4),theCitymaynotimposeanyfrontsetbackrequirementatall.

SPCSection17.60.070(F)(2)(d)requiresabuilding-to-buildingseparationofsixfeetforADUs,withthecaveatthatthisstandards“shallnotpreventthedevelopmentofanADUthatiseighthundredfeetorlessinarea…”However, forADUsthatmeettherequirementsofGovernmentCodeSection66323,subd.(a),theCitymaynotimposeanybuildingtobuildingseparationrequirementatall.

SPCSection17.60.070(F)(3)imposesparkingrequirementsonADUswithsomeexceptions.However,forADUsthatmeettherequirementsofGovernmentCodeSection66323,subd.(a),theCitymaynotimposeanyparkingrequirementsatall.

SPCSection17.60.070(F)(5)mandatesthatdetachedADUsbedevelopedonapermanentfoundation.However,theauthoritytomandateapermanentfoundationisnotfoundinGovernmentCode66314,and GovernmentCodeSection66315forbidslocalagenciesfromimposingadditionallocalrequirements:“Section66314establishesthemaximumstandardsthatalocalagencyshallusetoevaluateaproposedaccessorydwellingunitonalotthatincludesaproposedorexistingsingle-familydwelling.Noadditionalstandards,otherthanthoseprovidedinSection66314,shallbeusedorimposed…“ ImpermissibleDeedRestrictions
SPCSection17.60.070(I)requiresadeedrestrictiontoberecordedagainstthepropertyasaconditionofdevelopinganADU.However,suchdeedrestrictionsimposedonADUsareunenforceable.ThisisduetotheabsenceofhorizontalprivitybetweentheCityandtheapplicant.Inotherwords,sincetheCitydoesnotowntheapplicant’spropertyatthetimeoftheapplication,anddoesnotownaneighboringpropertytowhosebeneittheproposedrestriction(s)redound,blackletterpropertylawbarstherestrictionsfrombindingfuturepropertyowners.(See,e.g.,Scaringev.J.C.C.Enters.(1988)205Cal.App.3d1536[describingthetypesofprivityrelationshipbetweencovenantingpartiesthatallowenforcementofadeedrestriction];seealsoCiv.Code§§1460etseq.) Additionally,GovernmentCodesection66315states,“Noadditionalstandards,otherthanthoseprovidedinSection66314,shallbeusedorimposed,includinganowner-occupantrequirement,exceptthatalocalagencymayrequirethatthepropertymaybeusedforrentalsofterms30daysorlonger.”Adeedrestrictionwouldbean“additionalstandard”andthuscannotbeimposed.

ReferencedCodeSectionsAreOutofDate
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Finally,sincetheCitylastamendeditsADUordinance,thestatelawregulatingADUdevelopmenthasbeenreorganized,withthelawcurrentlyresidentatGovernmentCodeSection66310etseq.TheCity’sreferencestostatelawinitscodearethereforeoutofdate. ⧫⧫⧫
CalHDFisa501(c)3non-proitcorporationwhosemissionincludesadvocatingforincreasedaccesstohousingforCaliforniansatallincomelevels,includinglow-incomehouseholds.YoumaylearnmoreaboutCalHDFatwww.calhdf.org.

Sincerely,
DylanCaseyCalHDFExecutiveDirector
JamesM.LloydCalHDFDirectorofPlanningandInvestigations
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