L.A. City Council Chooses Legal Limbo for Accessory Dwelling Units

Faced with the task of conforming its "granny flats" ordinance with state law, the Los Angeles City Council yielded.

1 minute read

August 29, 2016, 12:00 PM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


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Megan Miller / View from Stahl House

The Los Angeles City Council put off taking action last week on a controversial "granny flats" ordinance, according to an article by Emily Alpert Reyes.

Daniel Freedman detailed the ordinance in a Planetizen feature earlier this month, detailing some of the opposition tactics to the policy proposals included in the ordinance. Alpert Reyes also explains some of the promise of granny flats—also known as accessory dwelling units or second units—to help alleviate the cost of housing in Los Angeles and other cities.

Alpert Reyes details the legal limbo many landowners find themselves in while the City Council continues to delay action. Garen Papazyan, a local real estate investor, provides a metaphor of the situation, saying it's "like driving the speed limit one day, then getting a ticket in the mail after the speed limit was lowered."

Sunday, August 28, 2016 in Los Angeles Times

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