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