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Fountain Valley council adopts ADU ordinance updates to match state law
Summary
The City Council voted 5–0 to introduce and approve Code Amendment 25-04, updating the city’s accessory‑dwelling‑unit rules to conform with state statutory renumbering, remove owner‑occupant and recorded covenant requirements, clarify sprinkler rules and align multifamily ADU counts with state law.
On May 6 the Fountain Valley City Council approved introduction of Code Amendment 25‑04 and a categorical exemption under CEQA to update the city’s ADU ordinance and comply with recent state law changes. Principal Planner Steve Ayers summarized the city’s response to state direction, which included renumbering references to sections moved by SB 477, amending sprinkler language so ADU construction does not trigger sprinkler requirements in existing primary dwellings, removing the recorded covenant and owner‑occupant requirement (while retaining a minimum 30‑day rental term), and conforming local allowances on multifamily lots to the state standard (state law allows up to eight detached ADUs on some multifamily lots, subject to the rule that ADUs cannot exceed the number of existing units on the lot).
Councilmember Harper asked staff to clarify the sprinkler language and owner‑occupant changes; staff confirmed the intent is to align local code with state law and that the owner‑occupant requirement is no longer permissible. After a brief public hearing with no speakers, Councilmember Harper moved and Councilmember Constantine seconded the measure; the council approved the motion 5–0.
The ordinance amendments referenced state code changes (SB 477 statutory renumbering, SB 1211 on multifamily ADUs) and the city’s code sections were updated accordingly in the draft language before council. Staff recommended Alternative 1 (introduce the ordinance and adopt a CEQA categorical exemption). The council’s action sends the ordinance forward per the city’s adoption process.
