Newport Beach ADU
With its welcoming neighborhoods, thriving schools, and picturesque harbor views, the small seaside city of Newport Beach is a destination for families and retirees looking for a place to call home. But like most of California, Newport Beach faces rising housing costs that drive out young families and the local workforce. In 2022 and 2023, we partnered with the City of Newport Beach to develop a new ADU Program encouraging the construction of ADUs. After working with City staff to identify key issue areas, we developed a Guidebook and Website that walk homeowners through every step of the ADU development process, from initial design to welcoming a new tenant. These resources are tailored to the Newport Beach ADU process and are designed to address concerns specific to the local community. They include stories from local ADU owners about their experiences building in Newport Beach, and inspiring examples from across California.
We also developed additional resources for homeowners to help simplify the design, permitting, and construction process, including a Process-At-A-Glance Handout that gives a high-level understanding of what to expect in an accessible format. By streamlining access to local and regional resources, Newport Beach residents can envision an ADU of their own.
Finally, Community Planning Collaborative produced guidance resources on building an ADU Amnesty Program that would allow Newport Beach homeowners with unpermitted ADUs to legalize these units and make them available as housing for their neighbors. This included a review of existing programs and common challenges and provided recommendations on developing a feasible program for the City’s capacity and resources.
“Thanks to you and your team for doing an outstanding job on this project.
We work with a lot of consultants, and I have to say we were very impressed with your quality of work, responsiveness, and over attention to detail. We have received a lot of positive feedback on the site and will continue to maintain. Would love to work with you again on a future project!”