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Page 3 of 6 <br />City of Redwood City 1017 Middlefield Road, Redwood City, CA. 94063 Tel: 650-780-7000 www.redwoodcity.org <br />Progress Update on ADUs Permitted <br />The City provides a comprehensive Housing Element Annual Progress Update each year; the most recent <br />update was provided to City Council on March 6, 2026. Per that report 63 building permits for ADUs were <br />issued in various locations citywide in calendar year 2025. As of December 31, 2025, the City issued 190 <br />building permits for ADUs since the start of the 6th Regional Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA) cycle in <br />January 2023, putting it on track to meeting its RHNA obligation of 506 ADUs by the end of the cycle in <br />2031. So far this year between January 1 and June 15, 2026, 24 ADU permits have been issued. <br />In addition to the above permitting and entitlement activity, the City continues to implement the <br />programs in its 2023-2031 Housing Element. Examples pertaining to ADUs are found below: <br />Streamlined processes to facilitate residential development (Program H4-6: Permit Processing) <br />o Updating the Planning Submittal Checklist with clearer objective submittal requirements <br />to streamline completeness and development review consistent with state law and the <br />most recent amendments thereto. <br />o ADU Building permit applications have been fully online since June 2025. The City <br />continues to update eTrakiT (the City’s web-based permitting portal) to allow for easier <br />online permit submittals, payments, and improved transparency. <br />o Exempted ADUs from Impact Fees through April 2027. Staff will return in early 2027 with <br />an update on fee exemptions and fee policies to determine effectiveness and next steps. <br />A companion item on tonight’s agenda would officially repeal the City’s ADU Ordinance given it is not <br />entirely consistent with State law and State Housing and Community Development Department has <br />determined that our local ordinance is therefore null and void by operation of state law. Under State law, <br />even one inconsistency invalidates the entirety of a local Ordinance. Presently, and moving forward, the <br />repeal of our local ordinance means that ADU applications will be reviewed for compliance with State <br />ADU standards. Staff evaluated updating the City’s Ordinance and determined it would be a fruitless <br />exercise given ongoing changes to State law. This year, the State legislature is proposing another round <br />of amendments to State ADU law, which would render any amended local ordinance obsolete within <br />months. Given that State ADU law has, and continues, to change on an annual basis, and the fact that <br />State ADU law provides the City with limited discretion to evaluate ADU applications beyond State <br />standards, there is little benefit to the City maintaining its own local ordinance. The City is in the process <br />of updating local forms and handouts to ensure proper references to State ADU regulations. <br />Progress Update on ADU Permit Timelines <br />ADU applications in Redwood City are processed in accordance with California Government Code Sections <br />66310-66342. Applicants submit construction plans, a building permit application, and an ADU <br />Completeness Checklist through the City's online permitting portal. Applications are routed to the <br />Building, Planning, Engineering, and Fire divisions, as applicable, for a completeness review as well as a <br />plan review for code compliance verification. State law requires the City to approve or deny a complete <br />ADU application within 60 days when an existing dwelling is located on the property. <br />Redwood City also complies with the State's pre-reviewed ADU plan requirement, which can reduce <br />permit review timelines to approximately 30 days for qualifying projects. The ADU resource center assists <br />7.A. - Page 3 of 16 <br />10