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DISCUSSION <br /> In order to assure a predictable growth rate while providing housing, the GMP regulates <br /> the number of residential building permits that can be issued each calendar year <br /> between 2014 and 2022 to 235 permits (based on the City's Regional Housing Needs <br /> Allocation divided by the number of years in the Regional Housing Needs Allocation <br /> cycle as prescribed by the Association of Bay Area Governments). As shown in Table 1 <br /> above, to date for 2015, eight GMUAs have been granted by City Council (one) and the <br /> Zoning Administrator (seven), resulting in an available capacity of 227 GMUAs for the <br /> remainder of the year. The applicants for Case Nos. P15-0486, P15-0512, and P15- <br /> 0524 did not receive GMUAs during their respective approval processes. Thus these <br /> applicants now seek GMUA approval for their projects (a collective total of 13 GMUAs) <br /> so that the applicants can obtain building permits. If granted, 214 GMUAs would remain <br /> available for the remainder of 2015. Based on the remaining anticipated GMUA <br /> demand shown in Table 1 above, staff believes adequate GMUA capacity exists and <br /> supports granting 13 GMUAs for the stated projects. <br /> The GMP also limits to ten, the number of discretionary GMUAs the Zoning <br /> Administrator may grant per year.2 Section 17.36.080.2(c) also allows City Council to <br /> increase the Zoning Administrator's administrative GMUAs, on an annual basis, if a <br /> need is demonstrated. As shown in Table 1, to date the Zoning Administrator has <br /> already granted seven of the 10 GMUAs allowed for 2015. In addition, there are a <br /> minimum of 15 potential additional GMUAs that may be requested during the remainder <br /> of 2015. <br /> Therefore, staff is requesting that City Council grant the Zoning Administrator an <br /> additional 15 discretionary GMUAs for the remainder of 2015. These 15 GMUAs, plus <br /> the three remaining GMUAs from the initial 2015 allocation of 10 discretionary GMUAs, <br /> would make a total of 18 additional GMUAs available to the Zoning Administrator for the <br /> remainder of 2015. Having this flexibility in the total number of available discretionary <br /> GMUAs for the remainder of 2015 would streamline the development review process for <br /> applicant proponents of the smaller residential projects that typically would be suitable <br /> for staff-level discretionary GMUAs. These smaller projects are typically lower density <br /> infill projects that would not result in substantial changes in demand for water or <br /> schools, or generate substantial traffic. As noted above, adequate annual GMUA <br /> capacity exists to support this request. <br /> CONCLUSION <br /> Staff recommends that the three projects' request for 13 GMUAs should be approved by <br /> City Council, allowing those previously approved projects to obtain building permits to <br /> construct the approved residential units. Additionally, based on the anticipated demand <br /> for GMUA requests for the remainder of 2015, staff recommends that an additional 15 <br /> administrative GMUAs be granted to the Zoning Administrator. This will streamline the <br /> development review process for applicants proposing smaller development projects that <br /> would typically be reviewed only at the staff or Planning Commission level. The annual <br /> 2 See PMC §17.36.080.2(c). <br /> Page 4 of 5 <br />