Title
Public Hearing on Final Revisions to draft Universal Design Ordinance
Body
Date: June 26, 2017
To: Planning Board
Re: Public Hearing on Final Revisions to draft Universal Design Ordinance
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Over the last five years, the City of Alameda and the Planning Board 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 attached draft Universal Design Ordinance (Exhibit 1) is the product of three Planning Board study sessions and the work of a joint subcommittee composed of Commission on Disability Issues (CDI) members Beth Kenny, Susan Deutsch, Arnold Brillinger, Anto Aghapekian and former member Audrey Lord-Housman and Planning Board members Sandy Sullivan and David Burton.
During this same five years, Alameda and the Bay Area have experienced an unprecedented housing affordability crisis. At prior Planning Board hearings on the draft Universal Design ordinance, Planning Board members identified the need to consider how the proposed new design regulations may or may not increase housing costs. On April 26, 2017, the Bay Area Building Industry Association (BIA) submitted a letter documenting its concerns about the impact of the draft ordinance on housing costs. (Exhibit 2). On June 12, 2017, staff sent a reply to the BIA explaining some of the aspects of the ordinance that are specifically designed to mitigate any potential impacts of the ordinance on housing costs. (Exhibit 3).
This report and the Planning Board workshop provide an opportunity for the public and the Planning Board to consider some final revisions to the draft ordinance to address potential cost issues before staff schedules a Planning Board and Commission on Disability Issues (CDI) joint public hearing for final recommendations to the City Council. The two major revisions for discussion relate to townhome devel...
Click here for full text