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From: <br />Margaret Laffan <br />To: <br />GRP -City Council <br />Cc: <br />Shashank Arora <br />Subject: <br />ADU topic for tonights RWC Meeting (12 Oct 2020) <br />Date: <br />Monday, October 12, 2020 3:21:15 PM <br />Dear Mayor Howard & City Council members, <br />We are writing to you with regard to the agenda item on tonight's city council meeting <br />regarding the Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) standards. We are in support of the city <br />council to pass the staff's recommendation to; "Waive the first reading and introduce Zoning <br />Ordinance amendments to Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) requirements and miscellaneous <br />provisions, in order to comply with State law, and to address permitted ADU types, side and <br />rear setbacks, floor area, lot coverage, a maximum 16 -foot height for detached ADUs and <br />attached ADUs within rear setback area, and short-term rental regulations". <br />As with our previous thoughts and correspondence regarding this topic when it came up on <br />the 13th July City Council meeting and again represented during the Planning Commission <br />meeting on 18th August we see that there are multiple examples of current ADU's being built <br />in RWC above 20 ft where the structure is imposing on privacy and overbearing to the <br />surrounding properties. This impacts quality of life, family privacy and neighbourhood <br />compatibility. <br />We fully understand the need for alternative housing for families especially more recently <br />given the COVID epidemic and support ADU's however not at the cost of impacting family <br />privacy, increased building density and neighbourhood incompatibility. Additionally, capping <br />at 16ft ADU's offers a stronger possibility to solve the housing crisis as the ADU building can <br />become more affordable given the many solutions being offered for one story ready made <br />ADU's available on the market and have better ability to be accessible especially for those <br />with mobility issues. <br />Please ensure that this can be positively maintained by capping ADU's at 16ft and adopting <br />the states guidelines and staff recommendations on this topic. <br />Best regards, <br />Margaret Laffan & Shashank Arora <br />Residents & property tax payers of Redwood City <br />