Laserfiche WebLink
Planning Commission <br />Page 8 of 10 <br /> <br />provision of EV and ADA spaces, it is likely the City will see more projects come forward with <br />more limited parking proposed on site. <br /> <br />The impacts of the legislation are likely to be felt most substantially in downtown where more <br />projects may fall under the “small projects” exception (20 or fewer units), and where land <br />values are high and sites more constrained. The City will continue to explore the mechanisms <br />allowed under AB 2097 to require adequate parking to be provided whenever possible and <br />encourage applicants to voluntarily provide parking as they are allowed. Longer-term, the City <br />may need to take more proactive steps to manage downtown parking as more pressure is <br />placed on existing public parking. <br /> <br />Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) Bills <br />Two bills, AB 2221 and SB 897, were signed into law that modify existing provisions of State <br />law related to ADUs. <br /> <br />AB 2221 (Quirk-Silva) <br />AB 2221 specifies that an accessory dwelling unit that is detached from the proposed or <br />existing primary dwelling may include a detached garage. Additionally, it would also prohibit <br />imposition of a front setback requirement if it would preclude construction of an ADU of at least <br />800 square feet. <br /> <br />SB 897 (Wieckowski) <br />SB 897 increases the maximum height limitation that may be imposed by a local agency on an <br />accessory dwelling unit from 16 feet to 18 feet if the accessory dwelling unit is within 1/2 mile <br />walking distance of a “major transit stop” or a “high-quality transit corridor” (plus two extra feet <br />for a pitched roof). <br /> <br />Additionally, the bill increases the maximum height limitation for an attached ADU to 25 feet, <br />however, a local agency may still restrict such attached ADUs to no more than two stories. <br />The bill would also prohibit a local agency from requiring an existing multi-family project to <br />correct existing non-conforming height or setback conditions because an ADU was proposed, <br />or from denying an ADU based on those existing non-conforming conditions. Other more <br />minor changes are proposed under the bill, including clarifying that similar exemptions to <br />parking requirements apply to ADUs constructed at the same time as primary units, and <br />clarifying that ADUs may only be reviewed against Objective Standards. <br /> <br />Impacts and Implications <br />Pleasanton’s ADU Ordinance currently specifies a 16-foot maximum height limit for both <br />attached and detached ADUs. The effect of these bills would be to increase those heights to <br />18 feet (plus a two-foot pitched roof allowance) for detached ADUs, and to 25 feet for attached <br />ADUs (i.e. that are attached to a primary structure). Additional flexibility may have to be <br />provided for ADUs to encroach into front setbacks if they would preclude a minimum 800 <br />square foot ADU. The various changes proposed under the two bills will necessitate <br />modifications to the City’s ADU Ordinance, which does not reflect these provisions. <br /> <br /> <br />