'Granny flat' rules could be lightened in Ojai Valley to produce housing

Ventura

County supervisors Tuesday supported standards potentially allowing more "granny flats" to be built in the Ojai Valley and in the El Rio area to create affordable housing, but perhaps fewer in Oak Park and unincorporated areas of Thousand Oaks.

The county and other jurisdictions are revising their land-use rules in the wake of a state law aimed at easing the construction of auxiliary dwelling units on residential parcels. Sometimes called "granny flats," or "mother-in-law apartments," the units are seen as a fairly simple way to generate affordable housing.

On Tuesday, supervisors stuck to their original call that lots should be at least 9,000 square feet for most unincorporated parts of the county in the regulations they are scheduled to adopt by mid-March. But they revisited restrictions on the Ojai Valley, where second-dwelling units have been tightly controlled for traffic reasons since 2003.

The existing standards say the units may not exceed 700 square feet, about the size of a studio or small one-bedroom apartment, on lots of at least an acre.

Under the board's direction, planners will draft language allowing units up to 900 square feet on lots of at least 20,000 square feet, and up to 1,200 square feet on lots of at least an acre. Both are more likely to accommodate a family than the current standard.

Supervisor Steve Bennett, who represents the slow-growth area, recommended the broader view.

He said the change could increase the stock of affordable housing, particularly for families.

"I am trying to do it on a scale that is appropriate for the Ojai Valley and the impacts it will have," he said.

Officials previously found that a large part of the valley needed special consideration because of traffic conditions they called unique. Highway 33 is the only road into and out of the area. Adding too many housing units would only worsen the situation, the theory goes.

Recently, though, a study found that the size of the unit could be increased without affecting traffic during peak hours. Generally, it's the number of drivers and not the size of the unit that determines the traffic load, transportation officials said.

Supervisor Linda Parks asked for a minimum lot size of 10,000 square feet in unincorporated Thousand Oaks, Oak Park and the community of Somis. She said the larger size is needed to retain the consistency of the neighborhoods and because the areas already have on-street parking problems.

The Thousand Oaks City Council has recently allowed second-dwelling units within the city for the first time. The council limited the size of the unit to 600 square feet for a detached unit and up to 500 square feet for one that's attached. No lots sizes were set.

Bennett and Supervisor John Zaragoza said they could support smaller lots sizes for El Rio, Nyeland Acres, Strickland and north Ventura Avenue in Ventura. Officials are looking at allowing the units on lots of at least 6,000 square feet in the densely populated areas.

Zaragoza said many homeowners in those areas could not build if the limit were set at 9,000 square feet because their lots are smaller than that.

"We have such a need for affordable housing," he said.

The full board went along with the changes for those areas as well as Parks' proposal. Officials are also studying whether tighter restrictions are needed for neighborhoods in areas with high fire hazards and limited access.

The final rules will be aired at meetings of advisory councils, then presented to the Ventura County Planning Commission and the Board of Supervisors early next year.

The board must pass local regulations by March 13 or the state law applies.