Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Adu Regulations topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Resident urges Woodland Planning Commission to implement HB 1337 permitting two ADUs per lot
Summary
A Woodland resident told the Planning Commission he supports full implementation of House Bill 1337 to expand accessory dwelling unit (ADU) rights; staff and commissioners discussed state timelines, existing local code gaps and parking and owner‑occupancy limitations.
Max Bonder, a Woodland resident, urged the City of Woodland Planning Commission to “implement House Bill 1337, fully and faithfully as written, without [unnecessary local barriers],” saying ADUs would help families and provide affordable rental options. “This is exactly what the house bill 1337 was designed to support: practical family based housing solutions,” Bonder said during the public‑comment portion of the commission’s meeting.
Commissioners and staff discussed how state law affects local code. A city staff member identified in the meeting as Travis said Woodland will not need to update its comprehensive plan until December 2025 and that, under the legislation, local regulations must be brought into compliance within six months of adoption of the updated comprehensive plan. “We do not need to update our comprehensive plan until December 2025 and technically 1337 gives us six months from the adoption of the comprehensive plan,” Travis said, adding an example calendar calculation for when local ADU rules would be required to be in effect.
Commissioners noted Woodland already permits some ADUs under current local code but that the city’s existing rules do not meet all of the state’s requirements. One commissioner said the city code currently allows ADUs on lots of 8,500 square feet or larger but includes owner‑occupancy and other restrictions that the new state law would bar. Commissioners and staff also discussed prior local efforts: staff said the city drafted code changes in 2023 to reduce ADU hurdles, the draft had a first council reading but was not adopted, and that a set of housing code changes remains on the list to address after the comprehensive plan update.
Officials discussed specific policy constraints: staff reiterated state law caps on local siting and design limits for ADUs (for example, reduced ability to require owner‑occupancy), and commissioners raised concerns about parking. “We have limited parking, and we are not a big city that has public transportation,” a commissioner said, noting state law is moving toward maximum rather than minimum parking limits for some jurisdictions.
The exchange included practical reasons for supporting ADUs. Bonder said he plans to use space on his lot to build units so his parents can live nearby and that the units could provide rental income in the future. Commissioners acknowledged the tension between enabling smaller market‑rate units and managing local impacts such as parking, utilities and neighborhood character. Staff and commissioners repeatedly framed next steps as code updates the city will undertake as part of the comprehensive plan process, not as immediate approvals of new permit applications.
The commission took no formal vote on ADU regulations at this meeting; commissioners noted the topic will be addressed through the comprehensive plan update and implementing code changes and that further public hearings and council action will follow.
