02/23/2010: "More Permits Than Applicants For ADUs"

There will be no lottery this for Accessory Dwelling Units (ADU) permits, since there are nine permits up for grabs, but only five applicants qualified to take place in the lottery, so, no need for the lottery.

County Building Official Rene Beliveau said all five applicants had submitted prior to the 2010 deadline and will now be allowed to go through the permitting process to obtain permits.

Three of this year’s entries want permits for new construction and two wish to convert existing buildings to ADUs.

The four remaining permits may be considered for new construction or conversions and are available on a first-come, first-served basis.

The number of ADU permits available each year is determined by a formula involving the number of building permits issued for the construction of new homes outside of activity centers and urban growth areas during the previous year. In past years, the demand exceeded the number of ADU permits available and the lottery was established as an unbiased means of distributing them.

In 2009, with falling construction activity, 15 qualifying applications were received for 14 available permits.