City Department Drafting Proposal to Amend Pasadena’s Second Dwelling Unit Ordinance

The City of Pasadena’s Planning and Community Development Department is currently working on a draft to amend the City’s Second Dwelling Unit Ordinance and bring it in compliance with the newly amended State law.

A second dwelling unit is a complete additional house on the same lot or parcel as an existing single family detached residence that may be rented out.

An announcement in the latest City Manager’s Weekly Newsletter said the existing ordinance, Section 17.50.275 of the Zoning Code, was adopted way back in 2004 in response to the State law that required local governments to use a ministerial process in approving second dwelling units.

On September 27, California Gov. Jerry Brown signed Assembly Bill 2299 and Senate Bill 1069 into law, which amended various sections on the existing State law governing the construction of second dwelling units in residential zoning districts.

David Reyes, the City’s Planning and Community Development Director, said the provisions of AB 2299 and SB 1069 included changes in parking requirements, changes in utility connection requirements, and now requires ministerial approval of a second dwelling unit that is contained entirely within the footprint of an existing single-family residence.

The new State law also now invalidates any existing local second dwelling unit ordinance that fails to comply with the State law by January 1, 2017.

The Office of the City Manager announced the Planning Commission will consider staff recommendations to amend the City’s ordinance tentatively on December 14, for possible consideration by the City Council by the end of January 2017. A more comprehensive review of the ordinance will begin in 2017, the announcement said.

For a complete reading of the new State law and Pasadena’s existing ordinance on Second Dwelling Units, visit the following links:

https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=201520160AB2299, https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=201520160SB1069, and http://ww2.cityofpasadena.net/zoning/P-5.html#17.50.275.