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9.A. - Page 1 <br /> REPORT <br /> To the Honorable Mayor and City Council <br /> From the City Manager <br /> April 13, 2015 <br /> SUBJECT <br /> Ordinance and Environmental Review for Proposed Hillside Regulations <br /> RECOMMENDATION <br /> (1) Hold a public hearing and (2) Adopt a resolution adopting the Initial Study/Negative <br /> Declaration and (3) Waive the first reading and introduce the ordinance for hillside <br /> regulations <br /> EXECUTIVE SUMMARY <br /> This report describes a proposed ordinance to address issues related to hillside homes. <br /> Staff has held five public meetings and received hundreds of comments on this issue. <br /> Based on the feedback received and analysis prepared bythe city's consultant team, <br /> staff developed a series of alternatives to address issues such as neighborhood <br /> compatibility, tree preservation, fire and structural safety, and home size flexibility. <br /> These alternatives have been reviewed and modified based on community and <br /> Planning Commission input. <br /> Based on this discussion, staff and Planning Commission concur on the following <br /> recommendation, as codified in the proposed ordinance (Attachment 1). It is important <br /> to note that staff and Planning Commission are not proposing a floor area ratio (FAR) <br /> limit. This item was discussed at the meeting of March 3, 2015 and Planning <br /> Commission and staff concur that it is not appropriate to pursue a FAR limit at this time. <br /> The following is a summary of the recommended changes: <br /> • Requirement of a public hearing for projects exceeding 3,000 square feet on <br /> slopes over 15%. No limits on floor area are recommended. <br /> • Additional second-story setbacks in the RH Zoning District, <br /> • Reduced front yard setbacks for garages on steeply sloping sites, <br /> • Requirements for additional information at Planning review stage to ensure <br /> safety, including landscape plans and geologic reports, <br /> • Design requirements for underfloor areas, <br /> • Creation of findings and additional criteria for development at hillside homes, <br /> including a finding regarding creekside properties, <br /> Page 1 of 10 <br />