GALT, CA (MPG) - A change in state law regarding accessory dwelling units approved last year by California lawmakers prompted a change to the city of Galt’s municipal code at the City Council’s Tuesday, March 4 meeting.

An accessory dwelling unit is an additional home on the same property as a primary residence, and can be attached, detached or created by converting a garage or existing space within the home. A junior accessory dwelling unit is similar but is built entirely within the walls of an existing single-family residence, typically taking advantage of an existing bedroom, and may share utilities with the main dwelling. They are usually limited in size. 

Accessory dwelling units have become a popular topic of discussion in recent years as the state attempts to add more affordable housing stock. 

The change, approved via a 4-0 vote – Vice Mayor Paul Sandhu was absent from the meeting – was largely meant to bring the city’s municipal code in compliance with state law; the city has already been complying with state law in practice since the law went into effect on Jan.1.

In 2024, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed into law AB 2533, which amended a rule that bars cities from denying a permit from an ADU built before 2018 if the denial was based on the structure’s lack of compliance with building, state or local standards, changing the rule to include junior accessory dwelling units and the changed the cutoff date to Jan. 1, 2020. 

It also requires the city to address a specific concern if correcting a code violation for health and 

safety reasons. Prior, the city could use “health and safety,” with a more blanket application.

Newsom also signed SB 1211, which amends a rule prohibiting the city from requiring off-street parking spaces to be replaced when a garage, carport or covered parking structure is demolished in conjunction with the construction or conversion to an ADU. The bill changed the law, stopping cities from being able to require replacement parking when an uncovered parking space is demolished for, or replaced with, an ADU. 

Other changes included adding a definition of “livable space” as a “space in a dwelling intended for human habitation.” SB1211 now allows a lot with an existing multifamily dwelling to have up to eight detached ADUs, or as many detached ADUs as there are primary dwellings on the lot, whichever is less. 

The city still does have control over specific requirements including setback, size and lot coverage requirements, as well as architectural guidelines. 

The Galt Planning Department currently is providing readily available ADU designs that adhere to the city’s design requirements to avoid a costly architect. 

“We do still have control over that,” Stacey Schafer, associate planner, said. “There are cases, even in the single-family zoning, where we have someone now who is interested in doing an ADU, but they may have to remove a shed because they don’t have the lot coverage. We do track that.”