Planning commission advances package of land‑use ordinance changes, recommends ADU inspections and business‑license rules

The Woodland Hills Planning Commission on Wednesday, Feb. 19, reviewed a package of proposed land‑use ordinance amendments and voted to recommend several changes to the city council while sending other items for further public hearing.

The package included new and revised definitions (accessory dwelling unit and wall); a change from the term “building inspector” to “building official”; new limits and approvals for fences and garden enclosures (raising a garden‑fence threshold to 600 square feet with exceptions by site plan); permitted materials (adding composite and steel and removing the word “natural” from the materials list); revised sport‑court rules that remove the requirement that a court be fenced to qualify as a sport court while requiring permits for any fence; new requirements for exterior retaining walls to be engineered when taller than 4 feet; and new ADU rules that allow detached ADUs but require inspections and a business license before an ADU may be used for rental occupancy.

Why it matters: the changes affect common residential activities — fences, backyard sport courts, detached accessory apartments and short‑term rentals — and clarify who approves routine fence permits and when building and sewer connections are required. Planning commissioners said they aimed to keep most changes narrowly focused while improving clarity and enforceability.

Most important actions and details

- ADUs: The commission amended the ADU definition to allow detached units and added an inspection requirement and a business‑license requirement for ADUs used for rental. The commission also removed language that had limited detached ADUs to large lots; detached ADUs now must meet the same setback, site‑plan and building‑code requirements as other accessory buildings and must obtain a business license if they are used as rental units.

- Fences and garden enclosures: Commissioners raised…