Multigenerational living: Doubling up and hunkering down for the duration

Extended families are moving in together (or next to each other) either due to financial circumstances or through deliberate choice, according to a couple of stories in the Home section.

Although more aging adults are moving into separate residences on their children's properties, the process of adding a guesthouse to single-family residence is not easy.

The state passed a measure in 2003 to help ease the second-unit approval process by allowing those wanting to build in-law units to bypass city planners and go straight to the building departments with their plans, said Jane Blumenfeld, a Los Angeles city planner.

But the state law did not prevent cities from requiring that a number of criteria be met to get approval. And every jurisdiction has its own set of regulations, said Jesse Brown, assistant planner for Burbank.

Probably the toughest criteria in L.A. are that second units must be no larger than 640 square feet and that they must meet yard setbacks and height requirements. A 5,000-square-foot lot with a main house, for example, would need an extra 2,500 square feet of yard to accommodate a second unit. Also, there must be at least one covered or uncovered parking space for the granny flat.

In Burbank, "second-dwelling units" are not permitted within 300 feet of the main house, and they may not exceed 500 square feet.

"We don't get a lot of applications..., " Brown said.

Still, that doesn't seem to be stopping anyone. Permits or no, "these conversions are happening regularly," said Russell T. Valone II, president and chief executive of San Diego-based MarketPointe Realty Advisors.

-- Lauren Beale

Thoughts? Comments?

Photo: Chris Rios walks out of the "granny flat" occupied by her mother, while son Koa, 6, plays in the yard. Credit: Jay Clendenin / Los Angeles Times

Comments

[syscom3]

These granny flats do more to destroy the character of a city than any single development. Does anyone think that they are not rented out to other families who stuff a dozen people into them?

You can always tell where these "proto-slums" are. They have far more cars and trucks parked in the driveways and streets than their neighbors, often making the street look like a parking lot..

And then there is the strain on the cities to provide power, water and sewage to them.

[Gail]

Isn't this a good thing? Bringing families closer together. Perhaps sharing meals, consuming less energy, pooling resources? It's what Obama is asking us to do:Sacrifice?
But then if one snoops on the other and imposes a curfew, perhaps it ain't so swell. I like the idea! GT

[Cal]

Go through Arleta and Sylmar listings (or any city with houses at the lower end of the pricing range) and see the massive number of illegal garage conversions to additional living space. It is not uncommon for 2 or more families to live in a home.

[Wes Boudville]

Perhaps the higher density living is a good thing. An alternative is ever increasing urban sprawl. That puts greater congestion on the roads, and greater fuel consumption. Plus, it makes it more affordable to provide public transport, which is an even larger reduction in congestion and fuel usage.

[Kay]

Hasn't this been done in Italy for centuries?

[syscom3]

To all you people complaining about suburban sprawl .... this is the reason it happens. Unchecked development in neighborhoods never designed to handle the influx of people.

In 1999, I left the south bay area for exactly the same reason. No place to park and over crowded conditions. It was a quality of life decision, I have never regretted.

And should my present neighborhood get over run by these "granny flats" which I call "neighborhood destroyers", I will be more then happy to keep moving outwards.

And there is nothing to stop me. I do not care if it means suburban sprawl, as long as I am not subjected to a lifestyle nearly everyone finds abhorrent.

[aldo818]

I see how these granny flats can be seen as a bad thing. However, It looks like its more of a symptom to the lack of affordable living space closer to work.

It's been said before and I will say it again. We need more housing in/around downtown. It would at least help with the freeway congestion.

Personally, I would prefer a granny flat in a home. If not to rent out at least you have more space for entertainment. The fact that some neighborhoods are messed up due to too many people living in one address (lack of parking, noise...etc) is the lack of consideration from the home owner towards his neighbors.

-aldo

[TR]

I do agree that single family homes with multiple families can really take the appreance of a neighborhood down. At the same time, if homes were cheaper people would not need to pile up in one house. Plain and simple. Most families living like this are not doing it because they like having eight people in a 3/2 ranch house.

As annoying as it may be, I refuse to move out to the exurbs to get away from it. Higher density is something we have to accept living in the L.A. basin.

[Crash and Burn]

Sometimes I wonder based on the comments I read weather this blog is based in Omaha or LA. Where do you people get these "Leave it to Beaver" fantasies on your "neighborhoods". You need to accept that LA is a city, an urban core, one of the largest in the world, and that you don't have to live here. The only restriction that makes any sense above is the parking requirement. All of LA is densely populated and our political leaders should have no excuses to say LA was not designed for this population density. They have had 40 years to modify utilities, transportation, and services to meet the demand, it is their failure to take the developers checks and then not require the developer to contribute to these new services.