Planning commission backs ADU ordinance updates to align with state law; notes sewer, fire and landscaping issues

The Fillmore Planning Commission voted 5-0 to recommend that the City Council adopt Zoning Ordinance Amendment No. 25-984, updating the city's accessory dwelling unit (ADU) rules to align with current state law and to adopt a CEQA exemption for those changes. Planning staff presented the amendment and said the update references current state code sections and clarifies multiple ADU rules. Why it matters: the ordinance clarifies sizes and definitions, removes an owner-occupancy requirement for ADUs (while retaining it for junior ADUs), and specifies when ADU construction does not trigger retrofitting requirements such as fire sprinklers. Those changes affect how many ADUs can be built, what permits are needed and how the city enforces standards. Key changes described by planning staff include updated references to applicable California code sections; clarified maximum size for attached ADUs; new language for nonconforming conditions related to health and safety; a provision addressing utility undergrounding (noting…