HomeMy WebLinkAboutStaff Report 2504-4568CITY OF PALO ALTO
CITY COUNCIL
Monday, June 09, 2025
Council Chambers & Hybrid
5:30 PM
Agenda Item
A.Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) - 2025 Quarter 1 (January - March 2025) Report
City Council
Staff Report
From: City Manager
Report Type: INFORMATION REPORTS
Lead Department: Planning and Development Services
Meeting Date: June 9, 2025
Report #:2504-4568
TITLE
Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) - 2025 Quarter 1 (January - March 2025) Report
RECOMMENDATION
This is an informational report, and no action is required.
ANALYSIS
This report transmits information related to application activity for accessory dwelling units
(ADU), including junior accessory dwelling units (JADU) for the first quarter of calendar year
2025. Since 2015, the City has received 842 ADU/JADU building permit applications and issued
654 building permits. While 40 percent of the remaining un-issued applications are considered
abandoned, 60 percent of the applications were submitted in 2024 or later and are still in
review and/or pending a resubmittal from the applicant. In the first quarter of 2025, the City
received 42 new applications, issued 30 ADU/JADU permits and provided an approved Final
Inspection on 36 ADU/JADU permits. As it relates to the Housing Element, the data continues to
support the anticipated housing unit production expected from ADU/JADUs for the current
Housing Element cycle, which is an average of 64 units per year over the eight-year planning
period or a total of 512 units. Between 2023 and March 2025, the City has issued 282
ADU/JADU building permits.
In Q1 of 2025, the ADU sizes of open applications in this period range from 200 to 997 square
feet, with an average size of 579 square feet. Approximately 38% of applications are located
north of Oregon Expressway, and 62% are located south of Oregon Expressway. Since 2017, the
majority of ADU/JADU permits relative to the Oregon Expressway has shifted between north
and south from year to year. Further details can be found in Table 1 of Attachment A.
FISCAL/RESOURCE IMPACT
This action has no fiscal impact.
ATTACHMENTS
APPROVED BY:
Table 1: Summary of ADU Permits from 2015-2025
Category 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 Q1
New ADU Applications
Filed1 10 9 28 55 75 78 136 151 122 136 42
(City Approved)2 8 5 12 39 62 46 112 127 135 131 29
Obtained)3 8 5 12 36 62 43 89 120 125 124 30
Approved4 3 4 9 12 33 46 37 62 101 105 36
(Submitted)5 20 35 52 52 80 80 48 53 19
(Submitted)6 8 20 23 20 56 44 43 47 12
Junior ADUs (Submitted)7 1 1 1 25 27 31 36 11
Category 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 Q1
Average Application
Processing Time (Days
Including Weekends)8
127 214 118 183 135 197 162 193 187 193 189
Time (Days Including
Weekends)9
578 751 330 287 173 262 455 431 496 519 481
Collected for New
ADUs10
$451,514 $402,012 $198,962 $44,057 $139,592 $540,453 $487,322 $498,101 $79,461
ADU Location
Relative to
Oregon
Expressway
North 46% 49% 52% 55% 49% 52% 41% 44% 38%
South 54% 51% 48% 45% 51% 48% 59% 56% 62%
Source: City of Palo Alto Accela Data January 2015 through March 2025
Notes:
1. Any ADU/JADU Application SUBMITTED for the year
2. Any ADU/JADU application Permit 'READY TO Issue' for the year (regardless of when it was submitted)
3. Any ADU/JADU Permit ISSUED for the year (regardless of when it was submitted)
4. Any ADU/JADU Permit receiving a Final Inspection (Ready to Occupy) for the year, regardless of when the application wassubmitted. Years 2015-2017 data
point not available.
submitted. Years 2015-2016 data point not available.
submitted. Years 2015-2016 data point not available.
2016 data point not available.
application is pending due to applicant preparation of resubmittal or additional information from applicant.
schedule the next required inspection; it also includes time related to the construction of a primary residence when the J/ADU is built at the same time.
Q1 2025 ADU/JADUs Submitted New Construction Conversion Type of Conversion
# of Dwelling Project Zoning Date Acc. Structure # of ADU
Q1 2025 ADU/JADUs Submitted New Construction Conversion Type of Conversion
# of Dwelling Project Zoning Date
Other
Acc. Structure # of ADU
Q1 2025 ADU/JADUs Submitted New Construction Conversion Type of Conversion
# of Dwelling Project Zoning Date
Other
Acc.
Structure # of ADU