Hawthorne planning commission backs ADU zoning amendment, limits detached units to 1,000 sq ft

The Hawthorne City Planning Commission voted to recommend approval of a zone text amendment reinstating the city's accessory dwelling unit (ADU) ordinance and setting the maximum size for detached ADUs at 1,000 square feet, Planning Director Greg McLean said at the public hearing.

"ADUs, as you know, are accessory dwelling units. Every city in the state is mandated to have, to make provisions for their allowance," McLean said during his staff presentation, noting that state law allows detached ADUs up to 1,200 square feet while the city elected to cap them at 1,000. The commission approved the resolution and will forward it to the City Council for final action.

Why it matters: The amendment (ZA2026002) restores local ADU rules after the ADU chapter was removed from the municipal code during a prior ordinance; it keeps most state requirements in place while carving out two local provisions McLean emphasized: a 1,000-square-foot cap for detached ADUs and a clause that allows the planning director (or a qualified designee) to deem certain room configurations as ADUs to prevent covert conversions into separate dwellings.

During the hearing commissioners pressed staff on enforcement and capacity. A commissioner warned that state law deems an application approved if a city does not act within 60 days. "If we miss that 60 day deadline, apparently that's approved," McLean said, explaining the city is mitigating the risk by designating an ADU liaison, expanding staffing and moving permitting to a digital platform to tighten review timelines.

Staff said the city has three preapproved ADU plan templates (each with variations) to speed plan check review and that staffing will reach six planners by late June to help meet state-mandated timelines. McLean said building and safety reviews and ongoing code enforcement are used to detect conversions that bypass proper permitting.

The commission also discussed parking and neighborhood impacts. McLean said state rules limit local control on parking: ADUs within a half-mile of a major transit stop or high-quality transit corridor cannot be required to provide separate parking, and Hawthorne's code treats tandem and mechanical (stackable) parking as allowable options.

The staff presentation addressed two-story ADUs in transit areas: while the state's baseline restriction favors single-story/16-foot ADUs, properties within a half-mile of designated transit corridors or major transit stops may allow two-story ADUs and greater height. The draft local text cites 20 feet in those circumstances to reduce ambiguity.

The amendment also reiterates that ADUs cannot be used as short-term rentals. McLean noted state regulations require ADU rentals to be 30 days or longer and that the city uses consultant monitoring of platforms such as Airbnb to identify potential violations.

The commission voted to approve the staff'recommended resolution; the transcript records the motion as approved with four affirmative votes and one commissioner absent. The resolution will be transmitted to the City Council for consideration.

The hearing drew no public commenters on the item; commissioners had no other substantive administrative reports before adjourning at 6:56 p.m.