Publication: Long Beach Business Journal
Residents in some Long Beach neighborhoods might want to get used to circling the block a few more times as they search for a parking spot after work.
In September of last year, state legislators approved a number of bills that made it easier for landowners to add residential units to their properties without the burden of providing additional parking spaces on site.
Since then, the city of Long Beach has received 360 applications for such units, often referred to as granny flats or ADUs, records obtained by the Long Beach Business Journal show. Currently, 220 are still under review for possible approval by the Long Beach Development Services Department.
ADUs are residential units that are added to an existing structure or property, like a studio with a kitchen and bathroom built atop an existing garage.
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AB-68, a bill passed in September 2019, prohibits cities from requiring on-site parking if the proposed site is within half a mile of public transportation, such as a bus or metrorail stop. ADUs in historic districts are also exempt from any parking requirements.
The new law was necessary because some cities refused to do their part in supplying more much-needed housing across the state, said Assemblyman Phil Ting, the author of the bill.
“When the first number of ADU bills was passed, cities started putting [in] really artificial and onerous barriers to continue to block ADUs. One of those was unrealistic parking requirements,” Ting said. “Many of which basically banned ADUs in those jurisdictions.”
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