Fresno planning commission recommends code changes to allow tiny homes on wheels, update ADU rules

Fresno City Planning Commission on Thursday recommended that city council approve a development-code text amendment (application P2500996) designed to reduce barriers to housing by allowing tiny homes on wheels as primary residences and by updating accessory dwelling unit (ADU) regulations to align with state law.

Planner Casey Lauderdale told commissioners the amendment implements Program 25 of the city’s housing element, certified by the State Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD), and covers six topics including tiny homes on wheels, replacing “single family”/“multifamily” with “single unit”/“multi unit,” permitting agricultural labor housing where crop cultivation is allowed, lowering the RM MH zone district minimum density, and updating ADU rules. “My name is Casey Lauderdale, and I am a planner with the long range planning team,” Lauderdale said during the presentation.

The commission’s recommendation sends the ordinance language and a companion general-plan text change (Table 3-1) to city council for final action. Commissioners voted to accept staff recommendations on a motion by Commissioner Sherry, seconded by Commissioner Criner; the motion passed on a voice vote.

Why it matters: the amendments remove or update development-code provisions that staff said are out of date or preempted by state law, and add local rules to integrate tiny homes on wheels and agricultural labor housing into the city’s zoning framework. City staff will be required to submit the final ordinance to HCD for review if council adopts the changes.

Key provisions described by staff - Tiny homes on wheels: The draft adds a subsection to Fresno Municipal Code section 15.27.38 (manufactured homes) to allow tiny homes on wheels to be treated as manufactured homes and used as primary dwelling units, subject to the same general requirements as manufactured homes. Tiny homes on wheels must be NC-certified and placed on an engineered foundation system; building orientation rules apply where the underlying zone requires a primary entrance to face the street. - Terminology change: All code references to “single family” and “multifamily” would be replaced with “single unit” and “multi unit” to avoid defining the word “family,” consistent with the housing element language. - Agricultural labor housing: The use tables would be updated to list agricultural labor housing as permitted in the same zones where crop cultivation is allowed, with a definition that references state law. - RM MH density: The minimum density in the RM MH (mobile-home-park) zone district would be reduced from 12 dwelling units per acre to 8 to better match existing parks. - ADUs: The amendment streamlines multiple local categories (second dwelling unit, backyard cottage, accessory living quarters) into the ADU categories used in state law (detached and attached ADUs), removes owner‑occupancy and certain parking requirements that state law preempts, raises the maximum ADU size from 1,250 to 1,400 square feet (or 50% of the primary home, whichever is greater), permits conversions of accessory structures to ADUs, and sets a minimum rental term of 30 consecutive days in alignment with state law.

Public input and committee review Staff summarized feedback from several neighborhood project-review committees: District 1 recommended approval after questions about tiny homes on wheels and design standards; District 3 recommended staff review tiny-home infrastructure impacts, consider design standards (particularly in historic districts), and disallow tiny homes on wheels for group or commercial enterprises; District 4 supported the changes and urged measures to ensure affordability for tiny homes and ADUs; District 6 raised questions about the family-to-unit change and minimum-density adjustments but did not object. Staff noted Districts 2, 5 and 7 either were not established at routing or had not reviewed the item; the item was noticed in the Fresno Bee on April 30 and posted to the city clerk’s page and the planning email list.

Process and next steps Lauderdale said the city will present the ordinance and companion general-plan amendment to city council on June 12. If council adopts the ordinance, staff must submit it to HCD for the required review.

Quotes and attributions - “My name is Casey Lauderdale, and I am a planner with the long range planning team,” Casey Lauderdale said while presenting the amendment. - “I’ll make a motion to accept the staff’s recommendations,” Commissioner Sherry said before the vote.

Ending The commission’s recommendation moves the proposed code changes to the city council for final consideration and HCD review; staff said additional related zoning and environmental work will follow on other items later this year.