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<br />g' A--\ <br /> <br />REPORT <br /> <br />To the Honorable Mayor and City Council <br />From. the City Manager <br /> <br />February 28, 2000 <br /> <br />Subject <br />Accessory Dwelling Unit Ordinance <br /> <br />Recommendation <br />Adopt the changes recommended by both the Planning Commission and Housing and Human <br />Concerns Committee. <br /> <br />Background <br />Over the last several years, both the Planning Commission and Housing and Human Concerns <br />Committee have held numerous study sessions to review the existing Accessory Dwelling Unit <br />Ordinance. As required by a 1981 State law, cities must allow second units1 under certain <br />standards on single-family residential zoned land. In 1991, Redwood City adopted the <br />Accessory Dwelling Unit Ordinance which allows accessory units on land zoned for single <br />family or multi-family use. Some of the requirements include a maximum size of 640 sq. ft~, a <br />limit of one-bedroom per unit, a total of three off-street parking spaces for both the main unit <br />and second unit, and that the property owner must reside in the main unit. A copy of the <br />Ordinance is attached. <br /> <br />Since 1996, there have been several workshops with the City Council, Housing and Human <br />Concerns Committee, and Planning Commission which focused on increasing housing supply <br />in light of the requirements of the Housing Element. The central theme was the creation of new <br />units, as opposed to legalizing non-conforming second units. (The issue of non-conforming <br />units and illegal conversions is discussed in a separate report). In an effort to increase housing <br />supply, these workshops also reviewed the Accessory Dwelling Unit Ordinance. <br /> <br />On October 19, 1999, both the Planning Commission and Housing and Human Concerns <br />Committee held a joint public hearing to further discuss the Accessory Dwelling Unit Ordinance. <br />They recommended the following changes to the Accessory Dwelling Unit Ordinance (the <br />changes are also summarized in an attached chart). These two groups felt that these changes <br />were relatively modest and yet would create additional housing opportunities. <br /> <br />a) Require that the property owner reside in the main unit or second unit. <br />Issues: Currently, the Ordinance requires the property owner to reside in the main <br />unit. However, many older property owners no longer want to maintain their larger <br />homes, but would rather live in an accessory dwelling while renting out the larger unit <br />(either to a family member or other renter). Also today parents are more willing to <br />house their immediate families on their own property because of the high cost of <br />housing, and also partly due to cultural and social preferences. The proposed <br />change will give the property owner the choice to live in either unit. Its important to <br /> <br />1 An accessory dwelling unit means an attached or detached residential dwelling unit that provides complete independent <br />living facilities for one or more persons. It shall include permanent provisions for living, sleeping, eating, cooking, and <br />sanitation on the same parcel as the single family dwelling is situated. Accessory units are sometimes referred to as <br />"second units", "granny flats". or "in-law" units. For the purpose of this report accessory dwelling units and second units <br />will be used interchangeably. <br /> <br />.~.._-"""~ "1r--- <br />