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On Monday the Pasadena City Council will review and vote on changes to the city’s ADU ordinance arising from recent state legislation.
The new legislation, including Senate Bill (SB) 1069 and Assembly Bill (AB) 2299, aim to streamline local ADU approval processes and alleviate housing shortages.
These bills prompted adjustments to Pasadena’s ADU ordinance in 2017 and 2018 to align with the evolving state laws.
In 2019 and 2022, subsequent bills mandated the allowance of ADUs in various configurations for single-family and multi-family sites. These state-led changes, however, have rendered portions of Pasadena’s current ADU ordinance inconsistent with state law. In short, those state rules don’t match all of Pasadena’s rules right now.
As the City confronts updating regulations, its staff continues to process applications for ADUs.
The 2021-2029 Housing Element, approved by the City Council in 2022 and endorsed by the California Department of Housing and Community Development in 2023, may be an impetus for additional revisions of the ADU regulations.
The plan, known as Program #11, aims to review and modify the current ADU standards. The goal is to ensure compliance with state regulations while maintaining the character of local neighborhoods. Pasadena’s goal is to add 9,429 homes by 2029, with an estimated 706 of these projected to be ADUs over the next 8.3 years.
Current state law permits the construction of ADUs, subject to certain regulations. For single-family homes, options include building a new structure in the backyard, converting an existing space into a living area, or creating a smaller “Junior ADU.” Apartment buildings are subject to a separate set of regulations.
On Oct. 11, Pasadena’s Planning Commission considered the proposed amendments and recommended that the City Council approve the Zoning Code text amendments by a unanimous vote. The major points in the recommendations are to maintain a maximum height of 16 feet for detached ADUs in Landmark and Historic Districts when visible from the street, and to allow an additional two feet to match the roof pitch of the primary dwelling (except for ADUs visible from the street in Landmark and Historic Districts, and any AUD in Hillside Overlay Districts).
The other points include allowing upper story windows along the side and rear lot lines when they abut an alley with a minimum width of 20 feet, requiring non-exempt, attached and detached ADUs to comply with lot coverage requirements, continuing to implement permitting improvements, and possibly reducing fees for ADUs.
These ideas and propositions will be discussed in detail on Monday when the City Council meeting opens up for a public hearing about ADUs in Pasadena.
The public hearing begins at 5:30 p.m. at the City Council Chamber at City Hall.
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