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Planning commission recommends ADU code updates to comply with new state laws
Summary
The commission voted unanimously to send an urgency zoning text amendment to council so West Hollywood’s ADU/JADU rules comply with recent state bills (AB462, AB1154, SB9, SB543), including faster completeness timelines and clarifications on JADU owner‑occupancy and coastal ADU rules.
The West Hollywood Planning Commission on Dec. 4 recommended that the City Council adopt an urgency zoning text amendment updating local accessory dwelling unit (ADU) and junior ADU (JADU) rules to reflect recent changes in state law.
Staff explained the city must amend Title 19 to align with four bills enacted in late 2025. The proposed ordinance would: clarify that ADU square footage limits reference interior livable area; implement a 15‑business‑day completeness review for ADU applications (with the 60‑day approval/deny clock beginning only after a filing is deemed complete); update limited JADU owner‑occupancy requirements (owner occupancy applies only when a JADU shares sanitation facilities with a single‑family dwelling); and incorporate coastal ADU processing clarifications from AB462. Staff also noted the state’s Housing and Community Development (HCD) department has stronger enforcement authority under SB543 and may render a local ADU ordinance void if HCD finds noncompliance and the city does not respond within the required timeframe.
Vice Chair Jones moved to forward the draft as an urgency ordinance to Council for the Dec. 15 special action; the motion carried unanimously. Staff will resubmit the adopted ordinance to HCD as required by law.
