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Comment by pempem | Hacker News Reader

So much clickbait. Pasadena isn't even able to incorporate the california state-wide relaxations of zoning like building ADUs/in-law units.

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you'll need to elaborate or restate that to be clearer, because pasadena was the first southern california city (or at least one of) to allow ADUs. that came around a year before the state statute, iirc.

edit: i remember because i was cynical about the move. the statute only gives wealth to property owners and doesn't allow new entrants to establish themselves. what would have been better is 4+1 by right (fourplex plus ADU on any residential property without requiring a variance).

Do you know why it is unable to? (Serious question)

Probably something to do with homeowners that oppose any marginal incremental density in their neighborhoods. No idea how they are able to effectively disregard the state laws (if they are, I haven't verified parent..) though, that's a good question.

> Probably something to do with homeowners that oppose any marginal incremental density in their neighborhoods.

This is my biggest problem with zoning and public consultation. Why do people feel they have the right to tell someone else what to do with the land they bought and paid for? Where does that “right to control others” arise from? If it isn’t actually directly impacting your enjoyment of your own property, then why is it even your business?

Lack of enforcement/consequences, sometimes due to somewhat transparent payoffs/sops to activists, combined with a lot of tarpitting by local gov’t usually. At least that is what I saw play out in places like Palo Alto, anyway.

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