San Jose: First pre-approved granny unit built in 90 days

SAN JOSE, CA - MARCH 05: Jeff Thompson of San Jose poses for a portrait in front of his backyard unit on March 5, 2020, in San Jose, Calif. This unit was the first built under a new San Jose program aimed at making it easier for residents to build granny units on their properties. (Dai Sugano/Bay Area News Group)
SAN JOSE, CA - MARCH 05: An interior view of Jeff Thompson's backyard unit is seen during a press conference on March 5, 2020, in San Jose, Calif. This unit was the first built under a new San Jose program aimed at making it easier for residents to build granny units on their properties. (Dai Sugano/Bay Area News Group)
SAN JOSE, CA - MARCH 05: An interior view of Jeff Thompson's backyard unit is seen during a press conference on March 5, 2020, in San Jose, Calif. This unit was the first built under a new San Jose program aimed at making it easier for residents to build granny units on their properties. (Dai Sugano/Bay Area News Group)
SAN JOSE, CA - MARCH 05: An interior view of Jeff Thompson's backyard unit is seen during a press conference on March 5, 2020, in San Jose, Calif. This unit was the first built under a new San Jose program aimed at making it easier for residents to build granny units on their properties. (Dai Sugano/Bay Area News Group)
SAN JOSE, CA - MARCH 05: An exterior view of Jeff Thompson's backyard unit is seen during a press conference on March 5, 2020, in San Jose, Calif. This unit was the first built under a new San Jose program aimed at making it easier for residents to build granny units on their properties. (Dai Sugano/Bay Area News Group)
SAN JOSE, CA - MARCH 05: San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo speaks during a press conference in front of Jeff Thompson's backyard unit on March 5, 2020, in San Jose, Calif. This unit was the first built under a new San Jose program aimed at making it easier for residents to build granny units on their properties. (Dai Sugano/Bay Area News Group)
SAN JOSE, CA - MARCH 05: An interior view of Jeff Thompson's backyard unit is seen during a press conference on March 5, 2020, in San Jose, Calif. This unit was the first built under a new San Jose program aimed at making it easier for residents to build granny units on their properties. (Dai Sugano/Bay Area News Group)
SAN JOSE, CA - MARCH 05: Co-founder of Abodu John Geary speaks during a press conference in front of Jeff Thompson's backyard unit on March 5, 2020, in San Jose, Calif. This unit was the first built under a new San Jose program aimed at making it easier for residents to build granny units on their properties. (Dai Sugano/Bay Area News Group)
SAN JOSE, CA - MARCH 05: An interior view of Jeff Thompson's backyard unit is seen during a press conference on March 5, 2020, in San Jose, Calif. This unit was the first built under a new San Jose program aimed at making it easier for residents to build granny units on their properties. (Dai Sugano/Bay Area News Group)
SAN JOSE, CA - MARCH 05: Director of Planning, Building and Code Enforcement for the City of San Jose Rosalynn Hughey speaks during a press conference in front of Jeff Thompson's backyard unit on March 5, 2020, in San Jose, Calif. This unit was the first built under a new San Jose program aimed at making it easier for residents to build granny units on their properties. (Dai Sugano/Bay Area News Group)
SAN JOSE, CA - MARCH 05: An interior view of Jeff Thompson's backyard unit is seen during a press conference on March 5, 2020, in San Jose, Calif. This unit was the first built under a new San Jose program aimed at making it easier for residents to build granny units on their properties. (Dai Sugano/Bay Area News Group)

By Dai Sugano | dsugano@bayareanewsgroup.com and Maggie Angst | Bay Area News Group

PUBLISHED: March 6, 2020 at 7:53 a.m. | UPDATED: March 6, 2020 at 12:49 p.m.

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Six months after San Jose launched a new initiative to make the construction of granny units more appealing for residents, prefabricated homes are now being installed in backyards across the city.

Downtown San Jose residents Jeff and Flora Thompson last month became the city’s first proud new owners of a granny unit built under the city’s pre-approved accessory dwelling unit, or ADU, program launched last year. The entire process, including getting their permits, took just under 12 weeks.

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