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Planning commission backs updates to ADU rules; recommends ordinance 18-83 to city council
Summary
The commission recommended that the City Council adopt Ordinance 18-83 to update Gardena’s accessory dwelling unit (ADU) rules to reflect recent state changes; the recommendation passed 4-1 with Commissioner Langley dissenting.
The Gardena Environmental Planning Commission on May 6 voted 4-1 to recommend that the City Council adopt Ordinance 18-83, which updates municipal ADU (accessory dwelling unit) and JADU (junior accessory dwelling unit) regulations to align with recent state law changes.
Staff said the draft ordinance updates Gardena Municipal Code chapter 18.13 to add definitions for unpermitted ADUs/JADUs, expand the permitting window for certain unpermitted units constructed before Jan. 1, 2020, and clarify conversion and new-construction limits for multifamily properties. “For multifamily dwelling unit lots, up to 25% of the existing total multifamily dwelling units may be converted from non-livable space to ADUs,” the staff presentation said. The draft also allows up to eight detached ADUs to be added to a lot, subject to setback and separation standards, while maintaining that ADUs may not be rented for periods of 30 days or less.
The ordinance would revise parking rules for ADUs: one space is required for ADUs with at least one bedroom; no space is required for studios or ADUs within existing living space; and properties within a half-mile of public transit may be exempted from parking requirements. Staff noted that an ADU cannot receive a certificate of occupancy until the primary dwelling has one and explained how connection and capacity charges are applied when an ADU is built with a new primary residence. The draft also clarifies that fire sprinklers are not required in ADUs when the primary dwelling does not require them.
Staff reported the public notice ran in the Gardena Valley News on April 10, 2025, and that no public comments had been received on the ordinance as of the meeting. Commissioners asked whether the city had received ADU applications; staff said the city receives plan checks regularly, primarily for garage conversions or new structures, and noted the multifamily allowance is rarely practical in Gardena due to lot and building footprints.
After the public hearing closed with no speakers, a commissioner moved to adopt Resolution PC 7-25 recommending the City Council adopt Ordinance 18-83; the motion passed on a roll call vote 4-1 (Vice Chair Reitschher: yes; Chair Henderson: yes; Commissioner Sherman: yes; Commissioner Khan: yes; Commissioner Langley: no). The commission’s recommendation will be transmitted to the City Council; local appeal and ordinance-adoption processes will follow council consideration.
The staff report and draft ordinance cite recent state legislation that prompted the update; staff identified AB 25 33 and SB 12 11 among the state laws informing the changes. No dollar amounts or new funding sources were proposed as part of the ordinance recommendation.
