The Lake Forest City Council unanimously adopted an urgency ordinance Dec. 2 to update the city's accessory dwelling unit (ADU) and junior ADU (JADU) regulations so they conform with recent California legislation that takes effect Jan. 1, 2026. The adoption ensures the city's local development standards remain enforceable while avoiding a lapse into state default rules.

Ron Santos, the city’s senior planner, told the council the ordinance updates Lake Forest Municipal Code to reflect changes in state law, citing AB 1154, SB 543 and AB 462. He said the urgency measure is statutorily exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act and is intended to ‘‘prevent the current ADU ordinance from becoming void when the state law takes effect’’ and to allow staff to continue permit processing without disruption.

Santos summarized key state changes: SB 543 clarifies ADU and JADU sizes as interior livable space; it exempts ADUs of 750 square feet or smaller and all JADUs from certain development impact fees; it allows combinations of ADU types that can result in up to three ADUs on a single-family lot; and it requires a 15-day completeness review and a formal appeal process for denied or incomplete applications. Santos also said AB 1154 adjusted owner-occupancy rules for JADUs and AB 462 addressed certificates of occupancy in disaster-affected areas.

A council member asked how many ADUs Lake Forest processes annually; Santos replied, "I'd say we probably process about a dozen a year." Santos and council members agreed ADU production in Lake Forest is modest and that the urgency ordinance is primarily to preserve local standards and administrative continuity. One council member referenced the city's RHNA obligation (stated in the discussion as approximately 3,386), noting ADUs contribute but will not meet the full requirement on their own.

The ordinance would be followed by a planning commission hearing on a non-urgency version scheduled for Dec. 4 and a subsequent city council public hearing in January. Staff said the non-urgency ordinance would replace the urgency ordinance 30 days after adoption. The council voted to adopt the urgency ordinance by unanimous voice vote.

Next steps: staff will proceed with the planning commission review of the non-urgency ordinance and return to council for the January hearing. The urgency ordinance preserves local procedures and standards while the city implements the new state requirements.