SACRAMENTO (AP) A bill banning rules used by cities to limit second housing units on existing lots is headed to the desk of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger after winning a key Assembly vote Wednesday.
The Assembly voted 48-14 to stop some cities from requiring covered parking or size limits for so-called ``granny flats'' or ``mother-in-law'' units. The Senate approved the bill Tuesday.
Backers say some cities used the rules to get around a 2002 bill that banned the city public hearings where neighborhood opponents often protested and defeated the plans. That bill enabled residents to get an over-the-counter permit for second units.
The bill's author, Assemblyman Darrell Steinberg, D-Sacramento, said cities can't use new rules to ``have a de facto policy against second units. You can't have a policy saying people can't use their private property.''
Many neighborhoods oppose second units, fearing a rise in renters and traffic. But Assemblyman John Campbell, R-Irvine, said the state's housing shortage and high prices outweigh those concerns.
``If you are in Orange County or near Orange County you know how difficult it is for the average young person to afford a home. This second unit is the sort of thing that may enable them to have that home,'' he said.
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On the Net:
Read AB2702 at http://www.legislature.ca.gov
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