Roseville commission recommends zoning amendment to define "kitchen" to clarify unit counts for ADUs and JADUs

The Roseville Planning Commission on Oct. 23 unanimously recommended the City Council approve an amendment to Title 19 of the Roseville Municipal Code (file PL25-0452) to provide objective definitions for kitchens, efficiency kitchens and wet bars.

Associate planner Eric Singer told commissioners the zoning code currently defines a housing unit by the presence of a kitchen and that recent state statutory changes and increases in accessory dwelling unit applications have made clear, objective definitions are necessary to count housing units accurately. "Well, currently, the zoning ordinance defines a housing unit, by the presence of having 1 kitchen," Singer said.

Singer described the proposed definitions: a full kitchen would require permanent provisions for cooking such as "a 220 volt receptacle for a stove or an oven, or a dedicated gas line," along with minimum dimensions for a kitchen sink and counters. An efficiency kitchen would not necessarily require the dedicated 220-volt or gas provision but would require a cooking appliance and minimum sink and preparation-area dimensions. A wet bar would be limited in size and would not be permitted to include cooking appliances.

Commissioner Jensen asked if induction stoves that run on 110 volts would be captured by the 220-volt requirement. Singer replied that building code and state law treat a full kitchen as triggering the 220-volt/dedicated-gas-line provision but said the proposed minimum-dimension criteria act as a secondary backstop: "we can flag the rest of it, you know, deficiency kitchen versus regular kitchen, but at least we know that it's a housing unit versus just a simple addition to the home with an amenity like a wet bar."

Staff said the amendment would help the permit center identify proposals that are effectively second dwelling units but are submitted as house additions. Singer said the proposal was presented to the Arcona board and the North State Building Industry Association, that there were no outstanding substantive comments, and that the amendment is exempt from CEQA per section 15061(b)(3) as a policy/procedure action.

A commissioner asked how ADUs and JADUs are credited toward housing element counts. Singer replied that counting depends on affordability assumptions: "for it you get it's for the unit. It depends on the affordability. So there's no, like, 0.6 or point it's 1. 1 unit is 1 unit." He added that the city's previous counts had likely not captured all ADUs, and that the amendment would help the city take full credit for permitted units.

Commissioner Jensen moved to recommend council approval; Commissioner Unidad seconded. The commission approved the recommendation by unanimous roll call.