The Planning Department for the City of Los Angeles announced

yesterday that due to “budget cutbacks” it was halting its plans to

craft an ordinance setting the terms of how homeowners in R-1 (single

family) zones may build an “auxiliary dwelling unit” or “granny flat on

their property. The sudden turnaround is believed to be a consequence

of public skepticism over the special interests that the plans really

serve, versus the “affordable housing” claim that the city has been

using to trumpet its plans.

The city had been falsely claiming that it was mandated by state law

to craft such an ordinance, and plans were being discussed for how to

reduce the minimum required lot size for such a flat from 7,500 square

feet (as currently established in an Interim Guidelines) to 5,000

square feet. State law requires that all applicants be permitted to

build granny flats if nine conditions are met. That law also gives

municipalities the leeway to add further restrictions. (Pasadena, for example, requires a minimum lot size of 15,000 square feet for a “granny flat.”)

In the absence

of a city ordinance, the terms set forth in the state law will apply.

More information here.

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