Oxnard Planning Commission unanimously backs ADU code changes, urges City Council to adopt state-aligned ordinance

The Oxnard City Planning Commission voted unanimously Thursday to recommend that the City Council adopt a zone text amendment to Chapter 16 of the Oxnard City Code that updates local rules for accessory dwelling units to align with recent state ADU law and to implement several code cleanups.

Jamie Peltier, planning supervisor for the City of Oxnard Community Development Department, told commissioners the amendment is intended to mirror state law and to remove obsolete provisions. "The ADU ordinance is in full compliance with the state law," Peltier said, noting two specific edits staff recommended in response to a letter from the California Housing Defense Fund (HDF): striking a provision that imposed an 800-square-foot cap in a particular multifamily provision and removing a requirement that manufactured-home ADUs be "built on a permanent foundation." Peltier also explained technical points, including that ADU and JADU size are measured by gross interior living space and that the ordinance adopts recent state timelines such as a 15-day review period for certain submittals.

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