Title
Public Hearing to Consider Introduction of Ordinance Amending Alameda Municipal Code Chapter XXX (Development Regulations) to Reinstate and Update Subsection a. Exceptions for Nonconforming Lots of Section 30-5.6 Building Site, Areas and Easements, as Recommended by the Planning Board.
Environmental Review: This action is statutorily exempt from environmental review pursuant to California Environmental Quality Act Guidelines Section 15061(b)(3). (Planning, Building and Transportation 20976710)
Body
To: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
From: Jennifer Ott, City Manager
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The proposed ordinance would reinstate a section in the Alameda Municipal Code (AMC) that was deleted during the updates to implement the Housing Element in 2023. The deleted code section (AMC Section 30-5.6(a)) provides building setback rules for small, non-conforming lots and primarily affects the ability for Alameda homeowners on small lots to be able to add to their existing homes. This public hearing provides an opportunity to review documents that were reviewed and recommended by the Planning Board with community input. Staff drafted an updated version of the deleted provisions with minor edits to improve clarity and to remove obsolete references. The Planning Board recommends that the City Council conduct a public hearing and introduce the Ordinance for adoption.
BACKGROUND
In 2023, the City of Alameda (City) amended the Zoning Ordinance to implement the 2023-2031 Housing Element. In the process, Subsection a. Exceptions for Nonconforming Lots of AMC Section 30-5.6 Building Site, Areas and Easements was amended by inadvertently deleting the key provisions governing building setbacks. The specific deleted provisions allowed homeowners with small, non-conforming lots (less than 5,000 square feet) to have proportionately smaller building setbacks (the distance between the property line and the building) than those on larger lots. The deleted provi...
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