Local Restrictions Easing On Granny Flats

According to The Mercury News, California lawmakers are considering new rules that will make it easier to build backyard ADUs in the San Jose area to help ease e local housing crises. “When you’re in a crisis, you have to do something,” said State Sen. Bob Wieckowski, D-Fremont, who authored the original ADU law, which cut construction costs by lowering water and sewer hookup fees. “The bottom line is, we’re still in a crisis.”
Despite easing local restrictions on construction of granny flats, homeowners and city planners report still being flummoxed by the rules.
Steve Vallejos, CEO of Valley Home Development in Fairfield, said after an initial surge of fast-moving ADU permits in 2017, some Bay Area cities have started to slow down the process and add costs with additional environmental and design requirements. “There’s plenty of room for improvement,” Vallejos said.
Wieckowski said he plans to re-introduce legislation to simplify the process and further reduce local fees and restrictions. A reform measure last year failed to pass. “The cities are dragging their feet,” he said.

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