City Council Zeroes In on Second Dwelling Unit Ordinance

Pasadena’s City Council will hold two public hearings during its regular meeting Monday night, both of which have to do with proposed Zoning Code amendments. One proposal is intended to revise the City’s second dwelling unit ordinance, and the other to amend provisions in the Code, as well as in all existing City plans, related to residential care facilities, transitional housing and supportive housing.

On the first proposal, a draft ordinance to amend Sections 17.22.030, 17.50.275, and 17.80.020 of the Zoning Code will be presented for first reading after the public hearing to fast-track the changes.

The City’s Planning and Community Development Department, in an Agenda Report for the City Council, said the amendments are necessary because the existing ordinance no longer fully complies with the newly amended State Law.

“There is an immediate need to amend the City’s existing Ordinance in order to retain the City’s authority to continue to enforce the majority of the City’s existing Ordinance,” Planning Director David Reyes said in the report.

On September 27, 2016, California Gov. Jerry Brown signed Assembly Bill 2299 and Senate Bill 1069 into law, both of which became effective on January 1. The bills amended various sections of the State Government Code related to second dwelling unit regulations to regulate parking, type and size of units, approval process and timelines, and applicable water and sewer utility requirements. The changes, the state said, are part of steps needed to facilitate the creation of these units to assist with the housing crisis in the state.

Among the changes the Planning Department is recommending are replacing the term “second dwelling unit” with “accessory dwelling unit” throughout the Zoning Code, allowing trailers and prefabricated buildings as second dwelling units, allowing accessory dwelling units within the existing space of a single-family residence or accessory structure in all single-family zoning districts without any restrictions, and setting the minimum parking requirement for an accessory dwelling unit to one parking space in any form of covered, uncovered, or tandem on an existing driveway, among others.

Staff from the Planning Department will present the full amendments at Monday’s’ meeting. They will also discuss certain concerns raised at the Planning Commission recently about the potential impacts of new second-dwelling regulations being imposed by the state on local municipalities.

In the second public hearing, Planning Department staff will present the results of a Planning Commission meeting on December 14, 2016 where the Commission voted unanimously to recommend approval of the proposed amendments to the Zoning Code related to residential care facilities. Staff will also recommend to the City Council to direct the City Attorney to prepare a draft ordinance that will amend all applicable sections under the Code.

The proposed amendments include technical changes to land use regulations, definitions, and parking requirements associated with land uses for residential care facilities, transitional housing and supportive housing in order to align the existing specific plans and the Zoning Code with the State Law.

To come up with the proposed amendments, the Planning Department obtained assistance from a housing consultant and legal counsel specializing in housing-related matters. Based on the review, it was determined that the City’s Zoning Code and specific plans do not fully comply with the State Law. For one, the Pasadena Zoning Code does not define, nor have land use regulations or parking standards for supportive housing.

Finally, during the meeting, the City Council is expected to pass on second reading the ordinance that will authorize the City to issue Water Revenue Refunding Bonds, 2017A Series, in the aggregate principal amount not exceeding $17,370,000, payable out of the City’s Water Fund. The ordinance will authorize the refinancing of outstanding 2007 bonds, as discussed initially during the January 23 City Council meeting.

The City Council starts its meeting with a Closed Session at 5:30 p.m. and proceeds to the Open Meeting at 6:30 p.m.

Public comments limited to 20 minutes are allowed at the beginning of the Open Meeting and will continue at the conclusion of the meeting if necessary.

The City Council meets at Council Chamber, Room S249 at the Pasadena City Hall.