South Bay Leader

Long Beach, CA – The City of Long Beach is announcing a plan to develop a new local ordinance for accessory dwelling units (ADUs) and an ordinance for two-unit residential developments in alignment with Senate Bill 9 (SB 9). The establishment of these two ordinances will help meet the city’s housing needs while also implementing State housing laws. When finalized, the ordinances will provide clear standards and procedures, and construction and style guidance, for residential ADUs as well as for SB 9 opportunities on single-family residential lots.

“These new policies will be greatly beneficial to homeowners across the city,” said Mayor Rex Richardson. “This is yet another way that Long Beach is supporting and promoting the construction of new housing options for residents while also helping to reach our local and statewide housing goals.”

Both ordinances will be developed to promote the City’s pro-housing policies. The first ordinance will center on updating and making the City’s regulations for ADUs more accessible. The second will be used to implement SB 9, a relatively new State law that requires cities to allow two primary residential units on single-family-zoned lots, and in some cases would allow for a lot split.

The recommendation to develop a plan for streamlining the City’s ADU process was originally brought forth by Councilmember Al Austin and was approved by the Long Beach City Council with a nine to zero vote in January 2022. 

“These efforts will provide more options for families to maintain and build intergenerational wealth, which we know is crucial to combatting inequity and creating social mobility,” said Eighth District Councilmember Al Austin II. “These policies will also greatly help in addressing our immediate local housing needs.”

Facilitated by the Development Services Department, the ordinances will be integrated with the City’s recently established Pre-Approved ADU Program, which gives homeowners access to City-approved ADU plans from local design professionals, saving homeowners significant time and money in the ADU review process.

“The ordinances build upon our existing efforts to welcome and facilitate ADUs as part of the City’s comprehensive housing strategy. This update will provide more clear and reliable guidance and additional incentives to property owners to help facilitate the development of needed housing,” said Christopher Koontz, Director of Development Services. “Our planning and permitting teams will be at the forefront of these efforts to better meet the needs of residents and neighborhoods.”

The public is invited to attend an in-person open house to learn about ADUs and SB 9 and to provide input on preferences and priorities that will help shape the ordinances, which are expected to be adopted in 2024. City staff will provide more information on these efforts and solicit resident and community feedback to inform development of the ADU and SB9 ordinances. The open house will take place on Wednesday, July 19, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Long Beach Utilities Auditorium (2400 E. Spring St.).

Homeowners and community members, as well as neighborhood associations and housing organizations, are encouraged to RSVP for the event and sign up to receive future updates on the progress of the ordinances. Interpretation services will be available in Spanish, Khmer and Tagalog upon request using the RSVP link.

For more information about this effort, people can visit the project webpage.

About the City of Long Beach
Home to approximately 470,000 people, the multiple award-winning and innovative City of Long Beach offers all the world-class amenities of a large metropolitan city while maintaining a strong sense of individual and diverse neighborhoods nestled together along the California coast. As a full-service charter city, Long Beach is home to the Queen Mary, Aquarium of the Pacific, several museums and theaters, a highly-rated school district, Long Beach Airport, the Port of Long Beach, as well as many award-winning City departments such as Health and Human Services; Parks, Recreation and Marine; Development Services; Public Works and more. The City also has a highly respected university and city college, two historic ranchos, five hospitals, 12 libraries, five golf courses, 169 parks, miles of beaches, marinas, bike paths and a Bike Share program.

For more information about the City of Long Beach, visit longbeach.gov Follow us on social to keep up with the latest news: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

About Long Beach Development Services

Serving residents, businesses and the community at large, the award-winning Long Beach Development Services Department sets a standard for high-quality, innovative urban planning and livability efforts that create more progressive and sustainable communities within the diverse City of Long Beach, CA. Through a variety of development, code enforcement, housing and neighborhood services and building activities, the Department builds a better future for the city while also honoring its unique past. For more information, visit longbeach.gov/lbds. Like our Facebook page and follow us on Twitter and Instagram.

Original source can be found here.