Hawaiian Gardens council introduces ADU ordinance to comply with new state rules

The City Council of the City of Hawaiian Gardens introduced Ordinance No. 2026-623, amending Municipal Code Section 18.90.080 relating to accessory dwelling units (ADUs) and junior ADUs to comply with three recent state-law changes effective Jan. 1. Staff told the council the amendments are intended to reduce barriers, streamline approval processes, and expand capacity to develop ADUs under the new state requirements. Staff also stated the action is statutorily exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act under Public Resources Code Section 21080.17.

After the staff presentation and a brief public-hearing period with no speakers, an unidentified councilmember moved to introduce the ordinance by title only and waive further reading. On roll call Councilmember DePaulo, Councilmember Farfan, Councilmember Vargas, Mayor Pro Tem Roa and Mayor Del Rio each voted yes and the motion carried.

Why it matters: The ordinance updates local code to reflect state legislative changes that aim to make ADU construction easier and increase housing supply. Staff said the planning commission recommended adoption on Dec. 17 and the city attorney previously presented the law changes to council on Dec. 10.

Next steps: The council introduced the ordinance and completed the first reading; further readings or ministerial steps were not detailed in the transcript.