City of Coachella Councilmember Neftali Galarza has announced that the city council has approved a new initiative aimed at improving housing affordability. In an effort to save home builders both money and time, and to promote home development in Coachella, the city is offering five pre-approved accessory dwelling unit (ADU) plans along with one junior ADU (JADU) plan.
According to a Facebook post by Galarza, this initiative is expected to reduce architectural costs and expedite the building process for residents planning to construct detached ADUs and JADUs within the city. The pre-approved designs offer three architectural styles—Spanish Colonial, Desert Modern, and Mission Revival. "The city selected these themes to reflect Coachella’s commitment to diversity and aesthetic appeal in its development projects," Galarza said in his post.
As per the City of Coachella's website, each of the five ADU floorplans varies in size. Plan 1 measures 477 square feet while Plan 5, which is the largest, measures 1,001 square feet. The single JADU plan or Plan 6 spans 441 square feet. Almost all differ in terms of bedroom count. The two smallest ADU plans—Plan 1 and Plan 2—feature one bedroom, whereas Plan 5 includes three bedrooms.
The City of Coachella's website also notes that ADU Plans 3,4 and 5 incorporate a solar system that can be designed by a state-licensed solar company chosen by the home builder. Permit fees for these plans range from $656 for the JADU plan to $915 for ADU Plan 5.