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Board adopts coastal‑zone ADU/JDU ordinance; tight size and parking limits for Big Sur, Carmel and other areas
Summary
The Board unanimously adopted a local coastal program amendment and ordinance updating accessory dwelling unit (ADU) and junior ADU (JDU) rules for Monterey County’s coastal zone to conform with state law while protecting coastal resources; staff will submit the draft to HCD and the California Coastal Commission for certification.
The Monterey County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously on Feb. 4 to adopt a local coastal program amendment and an ordinance updating accessory dwelling unit (ADU) and junior accessory dwelling unit (JDU) regulations for the county’s coastal zones.
Project planner Edgar Sanchez told the Board the ordinance aligns the county with recent state ADU laws while preserving Coastal Act protections for scenic and biological resources. The measure makes ADUs and JDUs allowable in all zoning districts that permit single‑family and multi‑family uses and sets size, parking and permit pathways to reduce coastal impacts while complying with state law.
Key provisions adopted by the Board include:
- Size caps: Newly constructed attached and detached ADUs and conversions are generally capped at 1,200 square feet across most planning areas; in the Big Sur land use plan and in areas subject to the B‑8 combining district overlay (where resource constraints are known), the cap is 1,000 square feet. JDUs are limited to 500 square feet; converted space within the main dwelling may not exceed 50% of the main residence’s living area.
- Unit counts: Parcels with a single‑family dwelling may have one ADU and one JDU. Existing multifamily parcels were clarified under a recent correction: up to eight detached ADUs may be allowed on parcels with multifamily buildings but the number of detached ADUs cannot exceed the number of existing units on the parcel; ADUs and JDUs do not count toward general plan density limits.
- Short‑term rental restriction: ADUs and JDUs are intended for long‑term occupancy; the ordinance incorporates a minimum rental period of 31 days where specified to prevent use as short‑term vacation rentals.
- Permit tiers and design review: The ordinance creates a three‑tiered review: certain small or converted ADUs (those meeting CCC criteria) may be exempt from a coastal permit; many newly detached ADUs will require a Coastal Administrative Permit; projects that trigger other code sections will still require a full Coastal Development Permit. Objective design standards must guide approval decisions in areas with design overlays such as Del Monte Forest and Carmel Area.
- Parking and coastal access safeguards: County staff and Coastal Commission staff mapped sections of Carmel Point and near Carmel River State Beach where visitor demand and scenic road constraints require off‑street parking for ADUs; parcels outside the mapped areas will not be required to provide additional off‑street parking for ADUs.
Supervisor Wendy Church moved adoption; Supervisor Fernando Alejo seconded. The Board voted unanimously, with the chair calling for aye votes and the motion carrying.
Sanchez told the Board staff will submit the draft local coastal program amendments to the California Department of Housing and Community Development for review within 60 days of adoption, after which the county will forward the materials to the California Coastal Commission for certification. The county also circulated an updated "errata" memorandum at the meeting clarifying multifamily limits adopted in January 2025 state changes.
Board members and staff said they want to continue monitoring implementation, housing impacts and any Coastal Commission comments through the certification process. No appeals or litigation were cited at the time of adoption.
