Title
Public Hearing to Consider Introduction of Ordinance Amending the Alameda Municipal Code (AMC) to Add Section 30-18, Universal Residential Design. (Community Development 209)
Body
To: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
From: Jill Keimach, City Manager
Re: Public Hearing to Consider Introduction of Ordinance Amending the Alameda Municipal Code (AMC) to Add Section 30-18, Universal Residential Design
BACKGROUND
Over the last five years, the Alameda City Council, Planning Board, and Commission on Disability Issues (CDI) have discussed the need to ensure that every new residential project in Alameda is designed to accommodate Alameda's current and future residents with mobility issues, including seniors aging in place. The draft Universal Design Ordinance that is the subject of this report is the product of five years of work by many Alameda citizens, a joint meeting of the Planning Board and CDI, at least three public meetings of the CDI, three Planning Board study sessions, and countless hours of work and many meetings of a joint subcommittee composed of Commission on Disability Issues (CDI) members Beth Kenny, Susan Deutsch, Arnold Brillinger, Anto Aghapekian and former CDI member Audrey Lord-Housman and Planning Board members Sandy Sullivan and David Burton. Important assistance was also provided by local architect and accessibility design expert Eric Mikiten.
During this same five year period, Alameda and the Bay Area have experienced an unprecedented housing affordability crisis. Throughout the ordinance preparation process, Planning Board members and others emphasized the importance of developing an ordinance that would not have significant impacts on housing construction and development costs.
Throughout the process, staff has been communicating with private and public housing developers and the Building Industry Association Bay Area (BIA). Copies of past correspondence between the BIA and city staff are included as attac...
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