AgdaPkt 2020-11-23 Joint SA PFA - Laserfiche WebLink

Browse Search

7.E. - Page 2 of 43 On August 18, 2020, the Planning Commission considered the proposed ADU ordinance amendments with a focus on height, application of floor area and lot coverage for ADUs over 800 sq. ft., and short-term rentals in ADUs. The Commission expressed concerns with the size of two-story detached ADUs within neighborhood context and concerns with possible attached ADUs up to 28 feet built 4 feet from the property line. The Commission also expressed concerns with homeowners using floor area exemptions for ADUs to circumvent the current single-family home soft cap floor area review thresholds in order to obtain additional square footage without Planning Commission review. The Commission supported ADUs as long-term rentals and prohibiting short-term rentals within ADUs. Some of the public comment received expressed support for a 16 -foot height maximum for both attached and detached ADUs and to prohibit ADUs greater than 800 square feet (sq. ft.) and over 16 feet (ft.) in height when attached to the main home. The Planning Commission voted 6-1 for a resolution recommending adoption of an ADU ordinance to the City Council for the following: • Allow 16 -foot maximum height detached ADUs and attached ADUs when not meeting rear yard setbacks. • Apply floor area ratio to all attached ADUs to the extent allowed by State law.. • Prohibit short-term rentals from any existing or new ADU. ANALYSIS ADU regulations to comply with State law have been discussed at previous meetings including the February 10, 2020 Planning Commission and City Council study session, July 13, 2020 City Council meeting, and August 18, 2020 Planning Commission meeting. Below is a discussion on the issues of height, floor area, lot coverage, and short-term rentals. Height: State law requires cities to allow new ADUs of at least 16 ft. in height, however cities may choose to allow taller ADUs. As the City's ADU ordinance is not presently consistent with State law, ADU applications continue to be reviewed under State law and are allowed to meet the height maximums of the underlying zoning, up to 28 ft. in most cases, with 4 ft. setbacks from side and rear property lines, until a local ordinance is adopted. The City's 2019 ADU Ordinance allowed a second -story ADU above a detached garage of up to 20 ft. in height plus additional height for roof slope. The factors that determine the height of a structure include lot slope, floodplain, foundation systems, ceiling joist thickness, building code requirements for habitable space ceiling heights, and roof slope. Planning staff consulted with the City's Building Division to estimate viable heights for foundation system, floor height for each story, ceiling joists, and roof pitch. Adding conservative building dimensions for the requirements, a two-story ADU would typically be 17-18 ft. with a flat roof and 20-21 ft. with a typical 4:12 roof pitch (a ratio to describe the steepness and height of a roof), see Figure 1 below. In order to further study potential ADU height, the City engaged a private design consultant/architect, to prepare exhibits to better understand building heights which are included in Attachment #3. Page 2 of 8 City of Redwood City 1017 Middlefield Road, Redwood City, CA. 94063 Tel: 650-780-7000 www.redwoodcity.ore 625