Del Mar: Accessory Dwelling Unit Ordinances On City Council Agenda

Press release from the City of Del Mar:

May 14, 2020

Ordinances to streamline and incentivize construction of accessory dwelling units are headed to the City Council for consideration on May 18.

One of the ordinances responds to a flurry of State laws that target housing shortages by requiring local jurisdictions to simplify and speed up permitting for accessory units. The second provides an incentive for property owners to offer accessory units as low-income housing.

Up and down California, State authorities have ordered cities to increase their housing inventories.

Accordingly, Del Mar is in the midst of updating the Housing Element of its Community Plan. As part of the Housing Element Update, Del Mar must find capacity in its zoning to add 163 units across a range of affordability. Accessory dwelling units – or ADUs – can satisfy a portion of that requirement.

New State law changes to ADU regulations include:

• Exemption of the ADU’s floor area from the lot’s floor area ratio limit;
• Size limits up to 850 for one-bedroom units and a maximum height of 16 feet;
• Must allow ADUs anywhere with residential use, including multi-dwelling and mixed-use properties;
• Allow more than one ADU per lot; and
• “Ministerial” approvals – without public hearings – must be issued within 60 days of a complete application.

The ordinance also sets guidelines for Junior ADUs – which are limited to 500 square feet.

A second ordinance calls for extending for two years a City program that offers property owners a floor area bonus of 500 square feet in exchange for renting an accessory dwelling unit for 30 years as deed-restricted affordable housing.

Open the new ADU regulations ordinance (PDF)

Open the staff report for the pilot program to encourage ADUs as deed-restricted affordable units (PDF)

This press release was produced by the City of Del Mar . The views expressed here are the author’s own.