Lafayette planning commission recommends ADU ordinance updates, including option for second deed‑restricted junior unit

The Lafayette Planning Commission voted 4-0 to recommend the City Council adopt updates to the city’s accessory dwelling unit (ADU) ordinance that staff say are required by state law and would add a new program allowing a second junior ADU if the unit is deed‑restricted for low‑ or very‑low‑income households.

The changes, presented by Sonia Rizzo, Assistant Planning Director, and Anna Toll, Assistant Planner, would bring Lafayette’s ADU code into compliance with recently amended state ADU requirements and the city’s revised draft housing element. "This is a city‑initiated zoning text amendment to update our ordinance that regulates accessory dwelling units and junior accessory dwelling units," Assistant Planner Anna Toll said during the presentation.

Commissioners were asked to find the ordinance exempt from CEQA, find it consistent with state law and the Lafayette General Plan as amended by the revised draft housing element (submitted to the California Department of Housing and Community Development on 05/13/2024), and to forward Resolution 2024‑08 recommending adoption to the City Council. The motion passed on a roll call vote (4‑0); one commissioner was excused.

Why it matters: Staff told commissioners that failing to update the local code to match state ADU statutes could render Lafayette’s ordinance invalid and limit the city’s ability to apply its existing objective development standards. The…