Laguna Moves ‘Granny Flats’ Deadline Up a Year

Owners of “bootleg” apartments may face a June, 1992, deadline to bring those units into compliance with a city ordinance governing so-called “granny flats” under a plan approved Tuesday evening by the City Council.

The council’s action, which could affect an estimated 600 residents, followed a Superior Court decision last week upholding the city’s crackdown on bootleg apartments--units which were added on to single family houses that are not in compliance with city codes.

A class-action lawsuit filed by residents accused the city of illegally attempting to eliminate South Laguna’s bootleg apartments, which had been added on to existing homes under more relaxed county standards before the area was annexed by Laguna Beach.

The suit focused on the city’s crackdown on such units during an 18-month period from December, 1987, to June, 1989, when a city ordinance regulating the apartments was adopted.

Following a closed-door session of the council, City Atty. Philip D. Kohn announced that he would offer a settlement plan to those who refuse to participate in the city’s initial program.

The new plan reduces the compliance time by a year, meaning the owners could face a 1992 deadline. The council initially had ordered residents to dismantle or bring up to code bootleg apartments by June, 1993.

Opponents of the ordinance said the city did not comply with the spirit of a state law, which encourages construction of second units to provide more housing. State law requires less restrictive standards for those units.