Redondo Beach City Council approved two ordinances regarding Additional Dwelling Units. These restrictions are stricter than the existing state law and limit where and how granny flats can be built locally. Redondo Beach ADU new laws, which were drawn for the City’s coastal and inland areas, set minimum lot sizes for construction. Lots in R-1 must be more significant than 6,000 feet. R-2 lots must have more than 5,000 feet. Detached ADUs can only be built up to 600 feet. ADUs attached to a property is limited to 600 square feet or 50% of the area of the residence. Builders can only build one ADU.To prevent absentee landlords from leaving their property to multiple renters, the ordinance requires that an owner own one unit.
One-Story Units
Redondo Beach ADU must also be one-story units and cannot be built above garages as initially approved by Redondo Beach Planning Commission. Each ADU must have one parking space. The City Council approved the ordinance in large part mirrors the law that Redondo’s Planning Commission had messed with over three meetings last autumn. The November meeting saw many residents happy that the body reached a consensus. The City Council was then tasked with examining the issue again, but the discussion also allowed Mayor Bill Brand to present his position against the state Legislature.
Revised ADU Rules
In response to the housing shortage, lawmakers adopted revised ADU rules. Brand stated that this was an example of state law being applied uniformly to all jurisdictions. Brand stated, “We’re very dense, denser than Long Beach, and most California cities by far,” before listing Redondo’s “incredibly varied mix of housing.” Redondo has a population density of 10,952 people per square mile. Brand stated that there is a war between the state and local communities. The governor has taken a position and sued Huntington Beach. He also plans to sue other cities. Governor Gavin Newsom supported Huntington’s lawsuit to force it to plan for affordable housing. In a press release, he promised that cities refusing to arrange additional accommodation would be “held accountable.”Redondo may have been credited with avoiding a lawsuit by approving housing development at the South Bay Galleria site. This includes 300 apartment units and some that are reserved for affordable housing.
Inland and Coastal Zones
Some residents were shocked at the number ADUs that the new regulations allowed to be built. According to a report by the city staff, 3,096 residential lots are eligible for ADUs in both the inland and coastal zones. Jess Money, a resident, stated, “if anything, real estate advertisements are going to lead you to minimize your mortgage through building another unit on top of it.” “Reject this via vote or veto.”
The Council did not grant money’s request, but it did listen to other residents’ requests to prohibit second-level Redondo Beach ADU construction above garages. Todd Loewenstein, the Councilman, also tried to impose Quimby Fees — $25,000 per unit fees for park improvement — on ADU developments. State and local laws do not allow Quimby fees to be collected if tentative parcel maps or subdivision maps are approved. The City granted permission to residents who had applied for ADUs before Tuesday’s ordinance. Permits for 37 units were filed as of February 19.