Goleta Limits Accessory Dwelling Units to 800 Square Feet
City Follows Most State ADU Rules
In Goleta’s short history, no one who asked the planning department about a second residential unit ever went any further than just thinking about it. The permit price was just too high, they told the city. But since planners began holding workshops last November on the new state-mandated accessory dwelling unit (ADU) — the new name for the old second residential unit — nine applications have been filed. Eight received permits. And two of the projects that whizzed through in less than 120 days — as required under state law — exceed the 800 square feet the city adopted as its maximum size for ADUs on July 13.
As far as land-use permit fees go, second units and ADUs seem to cost the same in “development impact fees” that include fire, police, library, and parks. The main advantage of the ADU is that it avoids design review and is quick. One ADU, an existing garage conversion, passed in four days. The state rules dictate many building details, like the exterior look — they must resemble the main house, unless they’re a manufactured home.
The first project in the pipeline happened to be a manufactured house: 757 square feet that fits quietly on a half-acre-plus lot alongside a main house that’s just over 2,000 square feet. The projects approved before July were charged Goleta’s transportation fee, an additional $11,000. By July, however, planning honchos had decided ADUs did not trigger the “average daily trip” threshold for the fee, city spokesperson Valerie Kushnerov explained. All the approved ADUs have been within a half-mile of a bus stop, a state requirement to avoid additional parking. The City Council is likely to address development fees again in the fall.
