Glendora property owners and housing applicants will work under revised accessory dwelling unit and SB 9 rules beginning October 8. The City Council unanimously adopted Ordinance 2099 on September 8, and the city's published adoption notice says the measure becomes effective 30 days later.
The ordinance updates Glendora Municipal Code Section 21.04.040 for accessory dwelling units, junior accessory dwelling units, and housing developed under Senate Bill 9. It aligns the local code with current state requirements and makes several application and capacity rules more specific.
The changes matter to property owners, landlords, developers, architects, and permit consultants preparing ADU, JADU, or SB 9 applications in Glendora. Projects should be checked against the new text before an application is submitted or revised for review on or after October 8.
More detached ADUs on existing multifamily lots
The largest numerical change affects lots with an existing multifamily dwelling. The ordinance permits up to eight detached ADUs, provided that the number of detached ADUs does not exceed the number of existing multifamily units on the lot.
That means an existing two-unit property can have no more than two detached ADUs, while an existing eight-unit or larger property can reach the eight-unit detached cap. The ordinance separately allows ADUs created by converting non-livable space within an existing multifamily structure.
Conversion ADUs are capped at 25 percent of the existing multifamily units, with fractions rounded down. A property with seven or fewer existing units must still be allowed at least one conversion ADU. Detached accessory structures at a multifamily property are not eligible for this conversion path.
The ordinance includes examples combining the two categories. An existing four-unit property could have one conversion ADU and four detached ADUs, while an existing 12-unit property could have three conversion ADUs and eight detached ADUs. A lot containing a proposed, rather than existing, multifamily dwelling is limited to two detached ADUs under this section.
These figures describe the local unit-count standards, not a guarantee that every site can support the maximum. Building, fire, utility, access, and other applicable requirements still have to be satisfied.
Junior ADU owner occupancy depends on sanitation
Ordinance 2099 narrows the local owner-occupancy condition for a junior ADU. Owner occupancy is required only when the JADU shares sanitation facilities with the existing structure. If required, the owner may live in either the JADU or the remaining portion of the structure.
The ordinance says owner occupancy is not required when the JADU has separate sanitation facilities or when the owner is a governmental agency, land trust, or housing organization. A recorded deed restriction is still required before permit issuance, and any JADU rental term must be longer than 30 days.
A JADU remains limited to 500 square feet of interior livable space and must be within the walls of a proposed or existing single-family residence. Up to 150 additional square feet may be used for ingress and egress.
SB 9 applications get clearer limits
For an SB 9 urban lot split, the applicant generally must be a natural person who holds title, individually or jointly, or a beneficiary of a trust that holds title. The applicant must sign an affidavit stating an intent to live on the property for three years from the application date. The ordinance provides exceptions for a community land trust or qualified nonprofit corporation and says the city cannot impose owner-occupancy standards beyond those authorized by law.
The city must approve or deny a completed urban lot split application within 60 days. A denial must identify the defective or deficient items in writing and describe how the applicant can remedy them.
The ordinance also states that an undeveloped parcel cannot be denied an SB 9 lot split solely because it is undeveloped when the lot-split application is filed concurrently with an SB 9 housing application and includes the required affidavit.
Across an original parcel, no more than four total dwelling units are permitted through the combined SB 9, ADU, and JADU paths. If the parcel is not split, it may have up to two primary units plus qualifying ADUs or JADUs, subject to the four-unit total. If it is split, each resulting parcel may contain up to two units, but the original parcel area remains capped at four total units.
The practical takeaway
Owners and project teams should compare plans with the adopted ordinance before October 8, especially when a proposal combines multifamily conversion and detached ADUs or uses both SB 9 and ADU provisions. The correct unit count depends on the existing development and whether the parcel will be split.
Applicants should also confirm current forms and submittal instructions with Glendora Planning. The ordinance changes the governing zoning text, but the city's application materials and project-specific review determine what documentation must accompany a filing.
Federal Weekly has added October 8 to the compliance calendar and recorded the adopted measure in the Business Rule Change Tracker. This report summarizes the adopted ordinance and does not determine whether a specific parcel or proposal qualifies.