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Planning Commission recommends ADU code changes to comply with new state laws; motion passes 3-0
Summary
The commission voted 3-0 to recommend that City Council adopt zoning code amendments aligning Jurupa Valley rules on accessory dwelling units and junior ADUs with recent state laws (SB 1211 and AB 2533).
The Jurupa Valley Planning Commission voted unanimously to recommend the City Council adopt zoning-code amendments to align city regulations with two recent state laws governing accessory dwelling units (ADUs) and junior accessory dwelling units (JADUs).
Principal planner Tamara Campbell told the commission the amendments implement provisions of Senate Bill 1211 and Assembly Bill 2533 enacted earlier this year. Campbell summarized key changes the city must adopt, including expanded allowances for ADUs on multifamily lots, updated definitions of livable space, modified height limits for detached ADUs in proximity to transit and multifamily dwellings, and tightened limits on when cities can require replacement parking.
Campbell said the new state law permits more ADUs on lots with multifamily housing, allows detached ADU height to rise to 18 feet in certain circumstances, and prohibits cities from requiring replacement parking when a covered or uncovered parking space is converted to an ADU. She also described AB 2533's requirement that the city approve previously unpermitted JADUs constructed before Jan. 1, 2020, unless specific findings permit denial, and that the city provide an online checklist and avoid many local fees for legalizing ADUs.
Campbell summarized the staff recommendation: "We are recommending that the Planning Commission conduct a public hearing by motion adopt resolution ... recommending that the City Council adopt the ordinance amending Title 9," and said staff determined the action is exempt from CEQA under 15061(b)(3).
Commissioners asked staff about deed restrictions and whether a recorded restriction that reiterates state rules would violate state law. City counsel and staff said the proposed deed-restriction form is intended to inform property buyers of state-required occupancy and short-term-rental limits and is not meant to impose additional local standards prohibited by state statute. Staff noted HCD (the State Department of Housing and Community Development) will review the ordinance after council action and may request clarifications.
The commission voted to forward the ordinance recommendation to City Council by a vote of 3-0, with two commissioners absent.
Why it matters: The changes implement state law and affect homeowners and developers by changing how many ADUs can be built on multifamily lots, relaxing some development standards, and removing some local parking and fee requirements for legalization of ADUs and JADUs. The amendments aim to make the local code compliant with state incentives and mandates to expand housing supply.
What happens next: The Planning Commission's resolution will be transmitted to the City Council for final consideration. HCD will review the adopted ordinance once council action occurs and may request additional changes.
