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the Gateway Commons shopping center, regarding restrictions on construction of ADUs <br /> above garages, that are included in the development's PUD conditions of approval. The <br /> PUD conditions stipulate that no more than 75 percent of units within the development <br /> may have an ADU above a garage —approximately a third of the units in Walnut Hills <br /> have such units today. The comments requested the City consider adding a blanket <br /> provision in the ordinance that would override any and all PUD-specific conditions <br /> limiting ADUs over garages, suggesting such restrictions are too limiting and <br /> inconsistent with state law. <br /> Staff suggested that the draft not be amended as requested, noting that: 1) for Walnut <br /> Hills, specifically, there does not appear to be a significant constraint to new ADUs <br /> being added above garages (since only about a third of the existing homes have ADUs <br /> today, whereas the PUD allows for up to 75 percent of units to include them); and 2) <br /> without understanding the extent, or project-specific rationale for restrictions on ADUs <br /> above garages in other PUDs, it would not be possible to understand the potential <br /> impact of lifting such restrictions on a blanket basis. Finally, it is noted that the PUD <br /> modification process exists as an avenue for an HOA or an individual property owner to <br /> request that a condition (such as a restriction on second story ADUs) be modified, <br /> allowing for site- and project specific conditions to be appropriately considered. <br /> Pursuant to state law, Homeowners' Associations may not restrict or limit ADUs through <br /> their CC&Rs, meaning any more restrictive provisions that may exist in CC&Rs would <br /> not be enforceable. <br /> Objective Standards <br /> As mentioned above, absent the ability to conduct discretionary review, staff is <br /> proposing to establish a series of objective standards for ADUs, to ensure they are <br /> compatible with residential neighborhoods and surrounding uses to the extent possible. <br /> While state law does not require cities to permit ADUs more than 16 feet in height, as <br /> mentioned previously in this report, ADUs that are proposed as part of a two-story <br /> addition (i.e., taller than 16 feet in height) are common in Pleasanton. In order to <br /> continue allowing these two-story ADUs, staff proposes that objective standards be <br /> established such that privacy impacts are mitigated. Also, some objective standards <br /> apply only to two-story ADUs and others apply to ADUs that are both single- and two- <br /> story. <br /> The draft ordinance amendments include the following recommended objective design <br /> standards, which were reviewed and supported by the Planning Commission: <br /> With the objective of reducing visual impacts and protecting neighbor privacy, two-story <br /> ADUs would be required to meet the following: <br /> 1. An exterior stairway must not be visible from the public right-of-way. <br /> 2. All new windows in an ADU may be operable, but if the new window(s) is 25 feet <br /> or less from a property line, it must either be positioned at least 5 feet above <br /> finished floor or must utilize frosted or obscured glass. <br /> Page 6 of 10 <br />