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1. What is an Accessory Dwelling Unit and a Junior Accessory Dwelling Unit and am I eligible to have either on my property?

An Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) is a dwelling unit which provides complete independent living facilities for one or more persons and is located on a lot with another single-family residence (SFR) or multi-family residence (MFR).

A Junior Accessory Dwelling Unit (JADU) is an ADU which is attached to a SFR that does not exceed 500 square feet (sf) and has additional allowances and restrictions as described below.

To determine if your property permits either an ADU and/or a JADU please refer to the ‘Accessory Dwelling Units and Junior Accessory Dwelling Units: General Information’ handout.

2. What is a SB 9 development and a Urban Lot Split and am I eligible to have either on my property?

SB 9 mandates jurisdictions, like the City of Poway, to ministerially approve a housing SB 9 development containing no more than two (2) residential units on a single lot within a single-family residential zone, excluding certain areas (“units” is inclusive of Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) and Junior Accessory Dwelling Units (JADUs)).  ADUs may be permissible after two (2) main single-family residences on a single lot are established.  Additionally, the City must ministerially process an Urban Lot Split in accordance with SB 9 and eligible development standards.

To determine if your property permits either a SB 9 development or an Urban Lot Split please refer to the ‘SB 9 Developments & Urban Lot Splits: General Information’ handout.

3. How do I find zoning information about my parcel?

Go to PowGIS, click on ‘Search’, enter in your address, then click the search icon, then ‘Community Info’, then expand the ‘Planning Information’ data. 

4. What are my building setbacks (commercial)?

You can find information on commercial building setbacks in the Poway Municipal Code - PMC 17.10.120.

5. What are the requirements for a sports court?

Information on sports court requirements can be found in the Poway Municipal Code - PMC 17.30.

6. What do I need to know about building walls and fences?

Information can be found in the Poway Municipal Code - PMC 17.08.240.

Additionally, when building a wall or fence, please maintain clear access to the water meter. There must be a minimum 2-foot clearance on all sides of the water meter box and no obstructions above or over the meter box. Please review PMC 13.11.130.A for more information.

7. What uses are permitted in residential zones?

Information on permitted uses in residential zones can be found in the Poway Municipal Code - PMC 17.08.100.

8. What are the business hours of the Development Services counter?

The Planning and Engineering Divisions are open during all City Hall business hours: 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Monday through Thursday, and Fridays 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., closed every other Friday. The Building Division’s hours are the same except that the Building counter will be closed from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. every day.

9. What uses are permitted in commercial zones?

Information on permitted uses in commercial zones can be found in the Poway Municipal Code - PMC 17.10.060.

10. How many horses can I have?

Information can be found in the Poway Municipal Code - PMC 17.32.010.

11. What are the necessary findings for the granting of a variance?

Information regarding the granting of a variance can be found in the Poway Municipal Code - PMC 17.50.070.

12. What are my building setbacks (residential)?

You can find information on residential building setbacks in the Poway Municipal Code - PMC 17.08.160.