Vista council refers movable tiny‑home regulations to planning commission after debate on sprinklers, setbacks and ADU classification
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Summary
After a multi-hour presentation and exchange, councilmembers sent staff research and council direction on movable tiny homes to the planning commission for detailed drafting and recommendation; staff recommended size, safety and certification standards, and council asked for fire-department review and limits on front‑yard siting.
City staff presented a proposed framework for regulating movable tiny homes — wheeled, certified small dwellings sited on private lots — and the council voted unanimously to send the draft policy options and council feedback to the Planning Commission for more detailed work.
Assistant Community Development Director Patsy Chow summarized staff research into other California jurisdictions (including Los Angeles and San Diego County), and outlined proposed standards: movable units 150–430 square feet, up to two stories and 16 feet in height; wheels and hitches to be hidden with skirting; units to sit on paved surfaces or proof pads to prevent movement; ministerial building, electrical and plumbing permits; and third-party certification to ANSI and NFPA/State HCD-equivalent standards. Staff recommended requiring automatic fire sprinklers as a safety measure and said that if the units are treated as state-mandated ADUs they could count toward RHNA but would then be subject to state ADU rules.
Council members raised several concerns in follow-up questions: whether prototypes had sprinklers (staff said no and estimated retrofitting could cost roughly $5,000–$6,000), whether the units could be parked in driveways or front yards if classified as ADUs (ADU rules can allow front-yard siting in constrained lots), and how to prevent proliferation on a single lot. Council discussed limiting primary‑unit placement to larger lots (staff suggested a minimum 10,000 sq ft for primary‑residence use) or treating them as ADUs and converting later if a primary dwelling is built.
Several councilmembers urged consultation with the Vista Fire Rescue Department to assess fire risk and emergency egress; the mayor proposed an automatic review after issuance of the eleventh permit to allow staff and council to examine real-world impacts before broad deployment. Councilmember Contreras moved to send the staff matrix, the points raised by council tonight (including sprinklers, setbacks, materials, and certification), and a list of specific questions to the Planning Commission for formal recommendations; the motion passed unanimously.
Why it matters: the proposal is intended to add another potentially affordable housing option and could be counted toward RHNA if classified as ADUs, but the council is balancing flexibility for property owners with neighborhood character, fire safety and maintenance concerns.
Next steps: staff will prepare a written draft including the council's directions, consult with fire officials, and the Planning Commission will review and return recommendations to council for further action.