The Santa Clarita Planning Commission unanimously approved changes to the city’s housing policies regarding accessory dwelling units, the property additions also commonly referred to as “granny flats.”
The new policies add a second class of ADUs into what the city can approve under its municipal code, and help the city address questions that have grown in recent years, particularly in light of evolving state regulations, according to city data and statements from planners.
In April, the City Council approved housing changes that allow for Class 1 ADUs in Santa Clarita, which are required and regulated under state housing laws.
Class 2 units are allowed to have a bigger physical footprint, and state law allows the city to impose what a planner referred to as “limited development standards,” according to a presentation by Zarui Chaparyan of the city’s Planning Division.
Class 2 ADUs have a few guidelines, but they are allowed to reach a larger size under state law.
Chaparyan also explained how the proposed amendments would change the rules for things like building heights on the new class of ADU, which could reach 1,000 square feet.
“The current code is more restrictive on a property owner with an existing primary residence that wants to build a taller accessory structure, but is not as restrictive on a property owner who wants to build a new house and a new accessory structure under the height requirements of the underlying zone,” Chaparyan said. “This amendment would allow these homeowners a simpler path forward and the same opportunity as those with taller existing or proposed homes.”
Class 1 options include junior ADUs that limit the size to 500 square feet for new construction; no size limit on add-ons to the primary structure that add housing, such as garage conversions; and limits detached ADUs to 800 square feet.
There are no parking requirements for the ADUs if the projects meet one of several circumstances, such as being within a half-mile of a public transit center.
The Santa Clarita City Council approved the first round of changes with a 3-1 vote, with everyone expressing some form of displeasure with the lack of oversight.
The city’s Planning Division received 61 applications for ADUs in 2021; 74 in 2022; 75 in 2023; 95 in 2024; 86 in 2025; and 87 in the year-to-date applications, according to numbers provided by city Planning Manager Patrick Leclair on Monday.
The changes await approval from the Santa Clarita City Council before the changes apply to the city’s municipal code.
