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CC - PUBLIC HEARING: Consideration of a City-Initiated Zoning Code Amendment (P2025-0240-ZCA) to: Adopt an exemption pursuant to CEQA Section 15183 and Public Resources Code Section 21080.17; Amend the Culver City Municipal Code (CCMC) Chapter 15.10, Subdivisions to Permit the Addition of Accessory Dwelling Units in Qualified Lot Subdivisions; Amend CCMC Section 17.400.095, Residential Uses - Accessory Dwelling Units to Remove Owner-Occupancy Requirements for Junior Accessory Dwelling Units; and Adopt CCMC Section 17.400.096 to Permit the Separate Sale and Conveyance of Accessory Dwelling Units as Condominiums.
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Meeting Date: February 9, 2026
Contact Person/Dept: Gabriel Barreras, Senior Planner
Emily Stadnicki, Current Planning Manager
Phone Number: (310) 253-5776 / (310) 253-5727
Fiscal Impact: Yes [ ] No [X] General Fund: Yes [ ] No [X]
Attachments: Yes [X] No [ ]
Public Notification: (Email) Public Notifications - City Council (01/26/2026), Meetings and Agendas - City Council (02/05/2026), (Posted) City website (01/26/2026), Social Media (01/26/2026), (Published) Culver City News (01/22/2026)
Department Approval: Mark E. Muenzer, Planning and Development Director/Interim Housing and Human Services Director (1/20/26)
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RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends the City Council introduce an ordinance approving a City-initiated Zoning Code Amendment to the Culver City Municipal Code (CCMC) Sections: 15.10 - Subdivisions, 17.400.095, Residential Uses - Accessory Dwelling Units to Remove Owner-Occupancy Requirements for Junior Accessory Dwelling Units, and Adopt 17.400.096 to Permit the Separate Sale and Conveyance of Accessory Dwelling Units as Condominiums; and adopt exemptions pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Section 15183 and Public Resources Code Section 21080.17 (Case No. P2025-0240-ZCA).
PROCEDURES
1. The Mayor seeks a motion to receive and file the affidavit of publication and posting of the public hearing notice.
2. The Mayor calls on staff for a brief staff report and City Council poses questions to staff.
3. The Mayor seeks a motion to declare the public hearing open and the City Council receives public comment.
4. The Mayor seeks a motion to close the public hearing after all testimony has been presented.
5. The City Council discusses the matter and arrives at its decision.
BACKGROUND
On November 12, 2025, the Planning Commission unanimously approved Resolution No. 2025-0016, recommending the City Council adopt CEQA exemptions and the proposed amendments to CCMC Title 15 (Subdivisions) and Title 17 (Zoning Code), as detailed in Attachment 1, Exhibit A.
The proposed ordinance would facilitate streamlined housing development and implement several recent California Senate Bills (SB) and Assembly Bills (AB) intended to encourage new housing production and increase homeownership opportunities, including:
• SB 684 and 1123 - Permit Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) in Qualified Subdivisions
• AB 1154 - Remove Owner-Occupancy Requirements for Junior ADUs (JADUs)
• AB 1033 - Separate Sale and Conveyance of ADU Condominiums
ANALYSIS
Permit Accessory Dwelling Units in Qualified Subdivisions (SB 684 and 1123)
CCMC Chapter 15.10 - Subdivisions was adopted on May 27, 2025, and is fully compliant with State law following the enactment of SB 684 and SB 1123. Together, these state bills allow for streamlined, ministerial approval of parcel maps, tentative maps, and final maps for housing developments consisting of 10 or fewer lots, or 10 or fewer residential airspace units in both single-family and multifamily residential zones. All resulting lots and units are subject to existing zoning standards as defined by State law, including setbacks, height, average unit size, utility and access easements, or other encroachments, which may reduce the scale, final lot count, or unit count possible on a given property.
In addition to primary residential units, SB 684 and SB 1123 give local jurisdictions the option to allow up to one ADU per newly created lot resulting from a SB 684 or SB 1123 subdivision. All resulting lots, residences, ADUs, and JADUs must continue to protect existing housing designated for low-income tenants, subject to rent control, or occupied by renters within the past 5 years, and remain subject to applicable local standards and the Subdivision Map Act.
Remove Owner-Occupancy Requirements for JADUs (AB 1154)
CCMC Section 17.400.095, Residential Uses - Accessory Dwelling Units has been consistently updated to conform with State law, with the last Zoning Code Amendment related to ADUs adopted by City Council on May 12, 2025.
Previously, State law mandated that a property owner must reside in either the primary single-family home or in the approved JADU. On January 1, 2026, California enacted AB 1154, requiring owner-occupancy only if a JADU is dependent on shared sanitation facilities with the attached single-family residence. As a result, JADUs with separate sanitation facilities may now be occupied by someone other than the property owner.
The proposed Zoning Code Amendment will modify CCMC Section 17.400.095.M.6 to require owner-occupancy only if the JADU is dependent on shared sanitation facilities within the attached single-family residence.
The passage of AB 1154 does not alter any other provisions regulating JADUs within CCMC Section 17.400.095, specifically:
• JADUs still cannot be sold separately from the main residence;
• JADUs must be rented for terms longer than 30 days; and,
• All existing development standards for JADUs remain unchanged.
Separate Sale and Conveyance of ADU Condominiums (AB 1033)
Culver City is among the top 10 cities in Los Angeles County in ADU production. From 2018 to 2023, the City realized 34.5 ADUs being built per 1,000 existing housing units. Moreover, in 2025, there were a total of 102 building permits issued for new residential units, 75 of which (74%) were for ADUs. While ADUs make up a large percentage of local housing demand and construction, the current Municipal Code does not allow ADUs to be subdivided or sold separately from the primary residence.
In 2023, California enacted AB 1033, giving local jurisdictions the option to allow the separate subdivision, sale and conveyance of ADUs as condominiums to provide new and more affordable homeownership opportunities within existing neighborhoods. To date, numerous California cities have adopted AB 1033, including Santa Monica, San Jose, San Diego, and Santa Cruz.
The City, and property owners of ADU condominiums, are required to comply with numerous legal and procedural regulations, including:
• The Davis-Stirling Common Interest Development Act, a California law that governs the legal framework for homeowners' associations (HOAs);
• The California Subdivision Map Act and CCMC Chapter 15.10, which regulate the standards for preparing and recording Condominium Maps;
• If the property has a Lienholder, a signed Lienholder's Consent from all parties with interest in the property;
• Impact fees are only applied to ADUs over 750 square-feet in size; and
• Compliance with all local ADU development standards is required.
The Zoning Code Amendment will introduce Section 17.400.096 at the end of the current ADU code section, and it will remove language prohibiting the separate sale ADUs in Section 17.400.095.K.
ENVIRONMENTAL DETERMINATION
The proposed Zoning Code Amendments are exempt from CEQA pursuant to Public Resources Code Section 21080.17, which exempts the adoption of an ordinance approving Zoning Code amendments related to ADUs implementing the provisions of Government Code Section(s) 66314 and 66333.
Further, pursuant to California Code of Regulations, Title 14, Section 15183 of CEQA Guidelines, the local adoption of AB 1033 is within the analyzed development potential in the General Plan 2045 EIR as adopted by the City Council on October 9, 2024; therefore, no further environmental review is required.
COMMUINITY OUTREACH
CCMC Section 17.630.010 requires public notification via a publication in the Culver City News, a minimum of 14 days prior to the City Council public hearing. Accordingly, a public notice was published in the Culver City News on January 22, 2026, and posted on the City website and distributed electronically via GovDelivery, and the City’s social media accounts on January 26, 2026. As of the writing of this report, no new comments have been received.
FISCAL ANALYSIS
There are no direct financial impacts from the recommended Code Amendment. Implementation of the Amendment will create additional opportunities for subdivision map applications and housing production, which may in turn lead to higher volumes of development applications and corresponding entitlement, permit, and development impact fees.
CONCLUSION
The proposed Zoning Code Amendment is consistent with State law and will expand homeownership opportunities, facilitate housing production through streamlined processes, and satisfy various General Plan policies related to the production and provision of a variety of housing options in the City. Therefore, staff recommends approval of the Zoning Code Amendments and related CEQA exemptions.
ATTACHMENTS
1. 2026-02-09_ATT1_Proposed City Council Ordinance (P2025-0240-ZCA) with Exhibit A: Proposed Zoning Code Text Changes in “strikethrough/underline” format
2. 2026-02-09_ATT2_Planning Commission Resolution No. 2025-0016, November 12, 2025
3. 2026-02-09_ATT3_Planning Commission Hearing Minutes, November 12, 2025
recommended action
MOTION
That the City Council:
Introduce an ordinance to adopt exemptions pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Section 15183 and Public Resources Code Section 21080.17; and, adopt a City-initiated Zoning Code Amendment to the Culver City Municipal Code (CCMC) Sections: 15.10 - Subdivisions, 17.400.095, Residential Uses - Accessory Dwelling Units to Remove Owner-Occupancy Requirements for Junior Accessory Dwelling Units, and Adopt 17.400.096 to Permit the Separate Sale and Conveyance of Accessory Dwelling Units as Condominiums (Case No. P2025-0240-ZCA).