CITY OF SANTA MARIA
Title 12 Zoning Text Amendments
Accessory Dwelling Units – Chapter 12-56
March 19, 2024
What is an Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU)?
• An “Accessory Dwelling Unit” is an attached or
a detached residential dwelling unit that
provides complete independent living facilities
for one or more persons and is located on a lot
with a proposed or existing primary residence
• Includes permanent provisions for living,
sleeping, eating, cooking, and sanitation on the
same lot as the primary residence
• May not be rented for less than 30 days
What is a Junior Accessory Dwelling Unit (JADU)?
• A “Junior Accessory Dwelling Unit” is a unit that
is not more than 500 square feet in size and
contained entirely within the living area of a
single-family residence or attached garage
• The property owner is required to live in the
primary residence or JADU
• Permitted only in R-1 or RSL-1 Zones
• May not be rented for less than 30 days
Background Information
• Proposed Ordinance Amendments are in response to 2023 updates to State legislation (Assembly Bill 2221, Senate Bill 897)
• Jurisdictions have the option to adopt an ordinance to regulate ADUs and JADUs. If an ordinance is not adopted, jurisdictions must follow State legislation • CA. Dept of Housing and Community Development reviews ordinances for compliance • ADUs and JADUs counted towards the City’s Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) ADUs and JADUs Permitted (Gov. Code Sec. 65852.2(e)(1)) • Current State law requires jurisdictions to ministerially permit the following:
– Single Family Residential Lots:
• 1 ADU and 1 JADU within existing space of a single-family dwelling or Accessory Structure; and • 1 detached new construction ADU (800 sq. ft. max; 16 ft. height max; 4 ft. setbacks) – Multi-family Residential Lots:
• ADUs within portions of multi-family structures not used as livable space; and • A maximum of 2 detached ADUs (16 ft. height, 4 ft. setbacks) • Front Yard Setbacks
– ADU may encroach into the front yard setback if the setback prevents the construction of an ADU of at least 800 sq. ft. in size, 16 feet in height and in compliance with the building code
ADU Building Height and Size Modifications
• Detached ADU Building Height Modification
– Current ordinance allows the height of the
zone district (25-30 feet)
– Proposed ordinance would revise the
maximum building height to 18-feet
• ADU Building Size Modification
– Current ordinance allows detached ADUs to
be a maximum of 1,200 sq. ft.
– Proposed Ordinance – 850 sq. ft. (studio or
1 bedroom), 1,000 sq. ft. (2 or more
bedrooms)
– Attached ADUs limited to 50% of the floor
area of the primary unit
New Objective Design Standards Added
– Materials, colors, roof pitch to match appearance of primary dwelling – Windows and doors may not have direct line of sight to an adjoining residential property • Fencing, landscaping, privacy glass may be used for screening – Open space area required for the ADU (300 sq. ft.)
– Exterior light fixtures to be directed downward and dark sky compliant (full cut-off) – Lot coverage: May not exceed 10% of the total lot area provided • May not limit the construction of an ADU of at least 800 square feet in size, 16 feet in height.
ADU Permitting Timelines
• Within 60 days of the date the city receives a completed application for an ADU on a lot with an existing single-family dwelling, the city must:
– Approve the ADU permit application or provide the applicant with a list (in writing) of items that are deficient and a description of remedies to the issues – This timeline does not apply when main dwelling unit is constructed with ADU Recommendation
Introduce an Ordinance for the first reading and continue to a future meeting for the second reading and adoption, amendments to Chapter 12-56, Accessory Dwelling Units, of Title 12 – Zoning, of the City of Santa Maria Municipal Code.