Accessory Dwelling Unit Designs for Residents with Disabilities Top Commission Meeting Tuesday

Editor’s. Note: this article incorrectly identified the date of this meeting which actually occurred last month. We apologize for this error.

Pasadena’s program offering pre-approved Accessory Dwelling Unit designs for residents with disabilities is not scheduled for release until April 2027 — a timeline the city’s Accessibility and Disability Commission is set to scrutinize on Tuesday, March 24.

Building Official Jesse De Anda is scheduled to present the work-in-progress accessible Accessory Dwelling Unit standard plan to the commission at 5:30 p.m. at the Jackie Robinson Community Center, 1020 North Fair Oaks Avenue.

Commissioners are then expected to vote on formal comments to deliver to the Planning Commission, possibly recommending further accessibility upgrades.

Because the Accessibility and Disability Commission is strictly advisory, any recommendations it adopts would be forwarded to the Planning Commission and, ultimately, to the City Council, which holds final authority over building code and permitting policy.

The ADU Standard Plan Program currently offers five pre-approved floor plans, ranging from a 374-square-foot studio to a 750-square-foot two-bedroom, two-bathroom unit. According to the staff presentation, the program has issued only one permit to date.

The accessible studio now under development would build on new statewide baselines. The 2025 California Residential Code introduces “Aging in Place” mandates that apply to all ADUs, including grab bar reinforcement for showers, bathtubs and toilets in at least one bathroom — preferably on the ground level — height-reach limits on electrical receptacles, switches and thermostat controls, standard height-reach requirements for doorbell buttons when installed, and interior door width requirements for at least one bathroom.

Pasadena’s forthcoming accessible studio design goes further, according to the presentation. Features would include accessible door and walkway widths throughout the unit; accessible kitchen counters, faucets, switches and outlets; alternate design options for the kitchen and bathroom; and a ramp entrance option with details included.

The presentation shows two prototype layouts for the 374-square-foot studio, each with a 144-square-foot bedroom and living area, a 70-square-foot bathroom, a 95-square-foot kitchen and dining area, and a 65-square-foot covered porch. Layout 1 provides a parallel approach to the range or cooktop and a forward approach to the sink; Layout 2 provides a parallel approach to both. Clear-floor-space and maneuvering details are keyed to California Building Code sections 11B-603.2.3, 11B-604.3.1 and 11B-305.3 — provisions governing door swing, water closet clearance and lavatory clear floor space.

Tuesday’s vote is tied to a broader Ad Hoc Committee effort in which Commissioner Andrea Jennings has suggested that the city consider committing to including an accessible floor plan among its approved standard plans. The committee has also raised related issues, including free accessible plan sets and overnight on-street parking passes for ADU residents.

If adopted, the commission’s comments would travel to the Planning Commission as recommendations — not binding direction — with the City Council retaining final say on any resulting code or program changes.

The April 2027 release date listed in the presentation means an accessible standard plan would become available nearly four years after the broader program’s 2023 launch.

For more information, call (626) 744-7311 or visit https://www.cityofpasadena.net/commissions/agendas/.