An Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) is a residential unit with complete independent living facilities for one or more persons. ADUs are smaller, residential dwellings located on the same lot as a stand-alone (i.e., detached) single-family home.
Since they share land and many other resources with the single-family home, ADUs address many barriers such as affordability and environmental burden. Prefabricated ADUs can increase accessibility even further. In California, areas of high opportunity are suffering from a lack of adequate housing. Young professionals and students prefer living close to these employment hubs instead of spending hours a day commuting but often struggle to find homes to meet their needs. Since ADUs can provide as much living space as apartments and condos, they are a great option for couples and small families.
New policies are making ADUs even more affordable to build, in part by limiting the development impact fees and relaxing zoning requirements. ADUs can help Californians make a home in job-rich, high opportunity areas.
At Nellie Gail Ranch, ADUs must comply with all State law, City zoning ordinances, and Floor Area Ratio Limitations and only one ADU is allowed on a lot and may not be combined with a Junior Accessory Dwelling Unit (JADU). There are many other important guidelines and limitations including, but not limited to the following:
Size
ADUs are limited to a maximum conversion of 50% of the existing floor area of the existing primary dwelling or an addition of up to 1,000 sq. ft. and the maximum lot coverage shall be 35%. Detached ADUs shall be limited to a maximum of 1,200 sq. ft.
Access
The walkway for the ADU must be from the same street as the primary dwelling. Side street or rear street ingress and egress across or over an easement or Association maintained slope or trail is not permitted.
Appearance
The architectural character, color, and materials must match the primary dwelling and shall not exceed the maximum height of the primary dwelling. They must also not exceed 16 feet in height.
Safety and Accessibility
ADUs shall be fully enclosed, have sanitary facilities, cooking facilities and a separate entry from the primary dwelling. They may not interfere with, affect the drainage of or be placed on or over easements and Association maintained slopes and must be placed so as to minimize the impact to adjacent Lots. The equestrian trails and easements may not be utilized for construction equipment access and may not be unreasonably interfered with for construction purposes.
All of the important details of ADUs at Nellie Gail Ranch can be found in
this document published by the Nellie Gail Ranch Owners Association. California ADU guidelines can be found
here.
