RES 12574 - Laserfiche WebLink

The addition of ramps and most other improvements needed to retrofit homes for accessibility are approved administratively; only exterior changes over ten feet in height require design review, and those are handled administratively and expedited. "Over the counter' approvals, such as the ramps, have no Planning fees, and the fee for Administrative Design Review is $25.00. The City uses its Building Code and plan-check process to ensure compliance with Title 24 and the Americans with Disabilities Act(ADA) accessibility and adaptability requirements. The City has adopted the 2001 California Building Code (based on the 1997 Uniform Building Code), and it has not adopted any amendments which diminish the ability to accommodate persons with disabilities. The City's Building and Safety Division ensures that access provisions for persons with disabilities are incorporated into plans as part of the plan-check process, and building inspectors check to make sure that they are built as part of the project. The City's development services center includes lower counters to make it accessible for individuals in wheelchairs so that accommodations are made for the issuance of planning and building approvals. The City is currently conducting a city-wide analysis for ADA compliance in its public buildings. As stated in the "Special Needs Housing" section, the City supports a number of facilities and services which address housing needs for persons with disabilities within Pleasanl:on (a few of which are in or near the Downtown) and the Tri-Valley area. Mid-Point Densities The General Plan indicates density ranges for residential development so that various zoning districts can be consistent with the General Plan and to enable developments of varying densities to be built under each residential land use designation. The mid-point of the General Plan density ranges designates holding capacity so that the City can plan its infrastructure, facilities, and services to accommodate new development. This concept acknowledges that development will occur both under and over the mid-point, while in general averaging towards the mid-point at build-out. The Medium Density and Low Density Residential General Plan designations are discrete density ranges, and the mid-point, in addition to being used for holding capacity, indicates a density above which project amenities are provided to compensate for the added density of housing built. However, in the High Density Residential designation (8 or more units per acre), there is no upper density limit and there is no amenity requirement. Thus, the mid-point of the High Density Residential density range does not limit project density, nor does it constrain higher density, affordable-housing development. Growth Management The City adopted its first growth management ordinance in 1978, designed to regulate the location and rate of new residential growth in a period of sewage treatment constraints and air quality concerns. The growth management program was most recently modified in October 2009 to allow the City Council to override the annual housing allocation in order to meet the City's share of the regional housing need.-Carreatly-, the-Grewtti-Managem nt^cdinance City of Pleasanton Housing Element BACKGROUND—February 2012 96