Colfax council introduces ADU ordinance update amid debate over short-term rentals

Colfax City Council introduced an ordinance on July 9 to update the city's accessory dwelling unit (ADU) regulations to be substantially consistent with a model ordinance from the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD). The council opened a public hearing, heard from city planning consultant Kathy Pease and several residents, and directed staff to return with a final ordinance for adoption at the July 23 meeting.

The proposed update would repeal the city's existing ADU ordinance adopted during the 2023 zoning code overhaul and replace it with language reflecting recent state guidance. Kathy Pease, the city's planning consultant, said the model ordinance narrows local discretion on some items and requires the building department to process ADU permit applications within 60 days. "The item before you tonight is an update of our accessory dwelling unit ordinance," Pease told the council.

Why it matters: ADU rules affect how many smaller, typically lower-cost units can be built on single-family lots and how quickly permitting occurs. The state's model is intended to make it easier to build ADUs, but some council members and residents raised concerns about unintended local impacts, especially the potential…