Just eight months ago, nothing more than a hollow, wooden frame stood on the expansive dirt lot at 2811 S. Bradley Road. Construction on the then just budding project has since wrapped up, and the lot is now host to a sturdy 2,138-square-foot house and its mini-me, a 1,000-square-foot accessory dwelling unit—the first of its kind in Santa Maria.
It’s been more than a year since the Santa Maria City Council voted unanimously in December 2017 to allow accessory dwelling units in residential neighborhoods, a decision that paved the way for local homeowners and developers hoping to convert existing structures into granny units or build entirely new ones.
Longtime real estate agent and developer Gary Crabtree was one of several Santa Maria residents who jumped at the chance to create accessory units after the city’s ordinance passed, and Crabtree’s project at 2811 S. Bradley Road was the first newly constructed accessory dwelling unit to be approved.
“This is a new concept,” Crabtree said of his now finished granny flat, which sits directly next to the larger house on the same lot. “I wanted to be the first.”
Crabtree hosted the property’s first open house the weekend of Jan. 26, and he said several attendees showed interest in buying.
Most, Crabtree said, were couples with children and aging parents who hoped to house their parents in the accessory dwelling unit. It’s a great way for kids to stay close to and care for their late-in-life parents while also having a separate space, Crabtree said.
Several viewers, however, told Crabree that their parents may not be ready to move in yet, and were concerned about paying for both houses. They were pleased to discover that either of the houses could be rented out, Crabtree said, so long as the owners are living in one.
“That was enlightening to people,” Crabtree said.
The two-bedroom accessory dwelling unit could potentially be rented out for about $1,600 to $1,800, Crabtree said. The larger house would go for much more. All could be money used to pay off the purchase of the property, which is currently listed at $895,000.
If the accessory dwelling unit model is popular, Crabtree hopes to build several similar homes on a few neighboring lots in the area.
Other homeowners and developers are doing the same.
The city of Santa Maria issued 57 permits for accessory dwelling units in 2018, according to Chuen Ng, director of community development.
The city’s decision to allow granny flats was part of a larger state effort to increase California’s dwindling rental unit inventory. Several state bills requiring cities and counties to adopt regulations allowing accessory dwelling units were signed into law in September 2016, according to a city staff report.
“[Accessory dwelling units] are generally regarded as an effective way to increase housing options while minimizing changes in neighborhood character or creating additional sprawl,” the staff report reads. “They can effectively provide affordable housing for renters, a source of income for homeowners, and a housing source for multi-generational households, including extended families, as well as seniors, college students, and others.”
Through Santa Maria Ordinance No. 2017-21, accessory dwelling units—commonly called granny flats or in-law apartments—can be created through the conversion of existing living space in a single-family home, through an addition to an existing home, or by constructing an entirely new detached structure.
“They can be a good form of affordable housing,” Ng said in a previous interview.
This article appears in Jan 31 – Feb 7, 2019.
