City staffers are hard at work to create an accessory dwelling unit ordinance to comply with a new state law by the Jan. 1 deadline, but some feel staff are using a “loophole” to minimize how many units allowed in the city.
House Bill 2720 — known by many as the “casitas bill” — requires cities with populations of 75,000 or more to adopt new regulations by January 1, 2025, to permit up to three accessory dwelling units — often referred to as casitas — on all lots where single-family dwellings are allowed.
The law takes away cities’ authority to require extra parking for the new units, require the homes to have fire sprinklers or even requiring new units share any aesthetic characteristics as the main house.
