San Bernardino council adopts urgency ordinance to align accessory-dwelling rules with new state laws

The San Bernardino City Council approved an urgency ordinance to update the city's accessory dwelling unit (ADU) rules to comply with two state laws enacted this year, AB 2533 and SB 1211, city staff said during a public hearing.

The council adopted the urgency measure to avoid a statutory deadline that would otherwise render the city's ADU ordinance void if it remained out of compliance. The urgency ordinance takes effect immediately; an identical ordinance was introduced for formal adoption at a later meeting, staff said.

What changed: Staff summarized the principal changes lawmakers made this year. AB 2533 extends a state provision that bars local governments from denying permits to legalize ADUs created by unpermitted construction: under the change the protection now applies to units built before Jan. 1, 2020 (it had previously applied to units built before Jan. 1, 2018). SB 1211 broadens prohibitions on requiring replacement parking when a…