Permit-ready Plans for New Accessory Dwelling Units Available

CITRUS HEIGHTS, CA (MPG) - The City of Citrus Heights is launching a Permit-Ready Accessory Dwelling Unit (PRADU) program this summer which includes permit-ready plans with a variety of customizable options.

That comes as welcome news to homeowners who are looking to build “granny flats” or “in-law suites” for their elderly parents, adult children or grandchildren who are seeking affordable housing.

An accessory dwelling unit (ADU) is an attached or detached residential dwelling unit that provides complete independent living facilities for one or more persons on the same parcel as the main dwelling unit. This includes permanent provisions for living, sleeping, eating, cooking, and sanitation.

The new program is funded by a grant from the California Department of Housing and Community Development, provides homeowners with more than 10 different pre-approved plans with customizable options to complement individual owner’s tastes and respect community character.

The decision by city planners to provide these new permit-ready plans to Citrus Heights residents for free is said to have the potential to save an applicant an estimated $6,500 in design fees, with additional savings from waived plan review fees, Bermudez said.

In Sacramento County, Citrus Heights is currently the only local municipality that will offer free, permit ready ADU plans to property owners, Bermudez said.

The available new ADU plans will be in three different sizes, including a 496 sq. ft. studio unit, a 599 sq. ft. one bedroom/one bath unit, and a 749 sq. ft. two bedroom/one bath unit.

“We don’t have a specific launch date, but we are aiming to release the designs to our residents in about 60 days. Those interested in receiving PRADU program updates can subscribe for email notifications,” said Citrus Heights associate planner Alison Bermudez.

Bermudez said homeowners who are looking to build ADUs on their property will still need to find their own funding or financing for building costs. “Our hope is that by providing these plans at no cost, our residents can apply that general savings to the rest of their overall project.”

Citrus Heights planners presented details about its upcoming PRADU program at the March 25th meeting of the city council. As the Sacramento region, and California at-large, faces a growing housing crisis, ADUs may provide a creative and affordable option to create new housing on existing residential properties.

Once the new plans are available, Citrus Heights homeowners would be allowed to build an 800 sq. ft. ADU with 4 ft. setbacks and 16 ft. height on most residential lots and in many cases a unit may be built up to 1200 sq. feet, Bermudez said.

The City of Citrus Heights planning department has issued 27 ADU permits since 2017 when its original program first launched and has 13 applications currently in review. Once the new summer PRADU program begins, Bermudez said she expects this number of applications to increase.

The different customized architectural plans were chosen through the results of a request for proposal (RFP) for the permit ready ADU program, she said. The city selected Chico-based, Jackson and Sands Engineering, Inc. which offered three different floor plans with varying roof lines and exterior finishes, bringing the total number of ADU designs to 13. Bermudez said each of the new designs take into account the variety of most residential building styles in Citrus Heights.

“Jackson and Sands Engineering has worked with other municipalities like the city of Chico and with Placer County on a similar PRADU program. The different plans offer a variety of design elements and rooflines to compliment a variety of styles,” Bermudez said.

In general, Bermudez said the city planning review process for a new ADU application typically takes a minimum of 30 days.

“When someone submits their own (ADU) plans, the City’s first review is done within 10 days. Often, there are revisions needed to ADU plans, and the resident must take the City’s feedback to their architect to make corrections, then resubmit,” Bermudez said.

“With our new PRADU program, the plans are permit-ready, so our residents can save time and money. In addition to saving about $6,500 on the cost of drawing up plans, PRADU applicants also save on plan review fees, which typically range from $1,000 to $1,400, depending on the ADU size,” she said. 

Any existing ADUs that have been created without permits, still need to be permitted, Bermudez said. “There is a process through our city Building Division that allows ample time for property owners to obtain legal permits, should they receive a violation notice,” she said.

Answers to frequently asked questions about ADUs can be found at: https://www.citrusheights.net/1091/FAQs

For specific information about the city’s permit-ready auxiliary dwelling unit (ADU) program, visit http://citrusheights.net/1090/ADU-Central or contact the city planning division at 916-727-4740 and email at [email protected]