Woodland Hills planning commission forwards ADU ordinance amendment to city council

May 20, 2025 — The Woodland Hills Planning Commission voted to approve proposed revisions to Ordinance 2025-22, amending the city code on accessory dwelling units (ADUs), and forwarded the revised ordinance to the City Council following a public hearing with no speakers.

The commission approved two substantive edits to the ADU draft: clarifying that ADUs may be internal or external to the primary dwelling, and restricting ADUs to single-family dwellings on lots of 19,000 square feet or larger in residential zones. A section describing ADUs located in detached garages or accessory structures was also discussed but not further changed at the meeting.

Planning staff member Jody explained the next steps: the commission’s changes will be incorporated into a proposed ordinance and the City Council will hold its own meeting to review the amendments. The public will have access to the revised ordinance prior to the council hearing, Jody said.

The commission opened a public hearing on the ADU proposal at the start of the meeting; no members of the public spoke. After discussion, a commissioner moved to approve the changes to Ordinance 2025-22 and forward it to the City Council; another commissioner seconded, and the motion carried on a voice vote.

The action does not adopt a final ordinance; it forwards the amended language to the City Council for consideration. The meeting record does not show a recorded roll-call tally for the vote.

Looking ahead, the City Council will publish the ordinance language for public review and set a date for its own hearing and final consideration.