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Home My WebLink About4.2ITEM 4.2 TOWN OF LOS ALTOS HILLS July 25, 2013 Staff Report to the Planning Commission SUBJECT: AMENDMENT TO THE ZONING ORDINANCE WITH REGARD TO PARKING REQUIREMENTS FOR SECONDARY DWELLING UNITS (Section 10-1.601 of the Los Altos Hills Municipal Code); FILE #216-13. FROM: Brian Froelich, AICP, Associate Planner-_� APPROVED BY: Debbie Pedro, AICP, Planning Director' L275=4r. �,1p Ile Piro RECOMMENDATION: That the Planning Commission: Forward a recommendation to the City Council to adopt the proposed amendment -to Los Altos Hills Municipal Code Title 10, Chapter 1, Article 6 - Off Street Parking. BACKGROUND Pursuant to Policy -I, Program 14. of the ,20.09 _ Housing Element adopted by -the-. City. Council on November 18, 2010, the Town is to evaluate changes or, reductions -.to parking requirements for Secondary Dwelling Units in'order to reduce barriers to new Secondary Dwelling Unit production. (Attachment #2 - Housing Element pages HE -57 and HE -58) DISCUSSION Currently the Town's off-street parking standards for residential uses requires four- (4) total spaces, two (2) covered spaces (carport/garage) and two (2) spaces that do not need to- be covered (surface parking). Secondary Dwelling Units require . one (1) additional space that does not need to be covered. Properties with a Secondary Dwelling Units need two (2) covered spaces and three (3) spaces that do not need to be covered. New parking spaces cannot be located in the setbacks. The Code Section 'specifying the parking requirement is below: 10-1.601 Residential uses. Each primary dwelling shall provide surfaced off-street parking facilities for. aminimum of four (4) cars, including a minimum of two (2) covered parking spaces for. each new primary dwelling. Each second dwelling shall provide surfaced off-street parking facilities for a minimum of one car in addition to the four (4) required for the primary dwelling. Each parking space shall be at least ten (10) feet wide and at least twenty,(20) feet long. Unobstructed vehicular access shall be available at all times.. ff '1; . Ord. ;305, eff. October 3, 1986; § 2, Ord. 329, eff. October 20, 1989; § 1, Ord. 419, eff. March 9, 2002) Staff Report to the Planning Commission Secondary Dwelling Parking Requirements July 25, 2013 Page 2 of 2 The proposed change is to remove the requirement for "unobstructed vehicular access" for the fifth parking space required for Secondary Dwelling Units. The proposed Ordinance is as follows (new language in bold): 10-1.601 Residential uses. . Each primary dwelling shall provide surfaced off-street parking facilities for a minimum of four (4) cars, including a minimum of two (2) covered parking spaces for each new primary dwelling. Each second dwelling shall provide surfaced off street parking facilities for a minimum of one car in addition to the four (4) required for the primary dwelling. Each parking space shall be at least ten (10) feet wide and at least twenty (20) feet long. Unobstructed vehicular access shall be available at all. times for four (4) parking spaces. All parking spaces shall comply with setback standards per Article 5 of this chapter. The requirement for four (4) unobstructed spaces would allow the .fifth parking space to be accounted for in tandem or similar_ formation to another required parking space. It would also remove.the need to add additional hardscape in order to construct a Secondary Dwelling Unit, in some cases. The intent of Housing Element Program 14 is to remove barriers for the creation of new Secondary Dwelling Units. Parking compliance and available Development Area are often an issue for proposed Secondary Dwelling Units. The proposed Ordinance addresses both issues directly: For permitting purposes, parking compliance is a demonstration of schematic accommodation on the site. The reality of daily parking practices on individual sites can vary. Flexibility for location of the fifth parking space will allow existing paved areas that are likely serving as parking already, to be credited as a required parking space. A long standing Planning Department interpretation of Section 10-1.505 of the Zoning Ordinance. has been that required parking spaces are not permitted in setbacks. The addition of specific language to the Off Street Parking Ordinance detailing the setback requirement will clarify the requirement. ENVIRONMENTAL CLEARANCE (CEOA) The project is categorically exempt from the provisions of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) under Section 15303 (e). ATTACHMENTS 1. Draft Ordinance to the Los Altos Hills Municipal Code Section 10-1.601 (Off -Street Parking — Residential Uses) 2. Housing Element pages HE -57 and HE -58 ATTACHMENT ORDINANCE NO. ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE TOWN OF LOS ALTOS HELLS AMENDING SECTION 10-1.601 OF THE MUNICIPAL CODE WITH REGARD TO SECONDARY DWELLING UNIT OFF-STREET PARKING REQUIREMENTS WHEREAS, the City Council of the Town of Los Altos Hills ("Towif') wishes to amend the Municipal Code Title 10, Chapter 1, Article 6 with regard to required off-street par gTo—r-5e—condary Dwelling Units. NOW, THEREFORE, the City Council of the Town of Los Altos Hills does ORDAIN as follows: 1. AMENDMENT OF CODE. Section 10-1.601 of Chapter I (Zoning) of Title 10 (Zoning and Site. -Development) of the Los Altos Hills Municipal Code is hereby amended to read as follows: 10-1.601. Residential uses. Ei7dh -primarydwellifik shall provide surfaced 6ff-street'parking facilities for a ,,minimumOf, four (4) cars, including a.Minimum of two (2),covered parking spdees. for, each new primary -dwelling. Eachsecond dwelling shall provide=. surfaced off- street parking facilities for a minimum of one car in addition to thefour(4) required jbi� the'primary#elling. Each parking -space -shall be at least ten '(10) feet wi&- and at least tw6hity (20)f fig. Unobstructed vehicular access. shall Wlaiidila&e dfall eet lo times for four (4) parking spaces. All parking spaces shall comply with setback standards per Article 5 of this chapter. 2. 'SEVERABILITY. IIf any provision of this ordinance or the application thereof to any person or circumstance is held -invalid or unconstitutional, the remainder: of this. ordinance, -including . the. application of such part or provision. to other-p'ersons,or, c.irqumst,ances.....shall L not be affected thereby and shall continue in full force and effect. To this end, provisions of this ordinance are severable. The City Council'bf the Town of Los Altos Hills.'hereby declares, that it would have passed each section, subsection, subdivision, paragr,aph,, sentence, clause, or phrase hereof irrespective of the fact that. any. one, orm0 re � sections, � subsections, subdivisions, .. paragraphs, sentences, clauses, or-. phrases -be;h L held unconstitutional-, invalid, or unenforceable. . ..... 3.. -ION. This - ordinance- shall. become ,EFFECTIVE DATE, PUBLICATION. effective thirty (30) days from the date of its passage. Within' 15 days after its pdssage,.this ordinance shall, be published once,- with the. names of those City Council Members yotin for or against it, .in the Los Altos Town Crier, a newspaper of general circulation in the .Town ofLiosAftos Hills, as-requiiedbylaw. INTRODUCED: PASSED: AYES: I of 2 NOES: ABSTENTIONS: ABSENT: ATTEST: City Clerk APPROVED AS TO FORM: City Attorney 2 of 2 Mayor ATTACHMENT 2 I. Policy Provide opportunities for lower cost housing through the development of residential second units, including new second units and those developed through the conversion of portions of existing primary units. The Town's goal is that 20 percent of all newly constructed residential units are new or converted secondary units. 11. Program Continue to provide a review process to allow staff level approval of all residential second units. Since the adoption of the 1998 Housing Element, the Town has successfully adopted an administrative review process for residential second units whereby any second units that conform to development standards may be approved at staff level. This has resulted in an expedited process and the production of 61 - second units during the last planning period from .1999 through 2006. The Town will continue to encourage and facilitate the production of second units through the ., expedited.. .administrative review process. Time Frame: Ongoing Responsible Agency: Planning Quantified.Objective: NLA 12. Program Develop a residential second unit brochure for placement on the Town's website, to be' made available . at.. the- Town's . public information counter and provided to each applicant for. development of a residential parcel within the Town, to existing residents interested in developing new second. units or, converting portions of existing primary units, and_ to seniors seeking opportunities to remain. in Los Altos ,Hills. The; second _unit brochures. shall also be provided to all owners of property. prezoned and annexed to the Town of Los Altos Hills. Brochures . shall include information regarding incentives for construction of secondary units, such- as an expedient administrative review process; waiver of the housing fee, and under -specified criteria, the building permit_ and sewer hook-up fees; and modified parking requirements. The Town will annually review these incentives to evaluate their effectivenessin encouraging 'second units affordable to extremely low, very low, low and moderate income households and report to State HCD as part of the Town's annual Housing Element review. To the, extent'these incentives appear ineffective; the Town will adopt additional Draft 2009 Housing Element -Los Altos Hills General Plan Page HE- 57 incentives and revise its Housing Element accordingly. Time Frame: Responsible Agency: Quantified Objective: Disseminate brochure by December 2012. Review effectiveness of incentives on an annual basis. Planning/Building Produce an average of 7 new second units per year. 13. Program Develop and adopt reasonable criteria for reducing or waiving building permit and sewer hook-up fees for second units. Time Frame: August 2013 Responsible. Agency: Planning/Building - _Quantified Objective:. N/A.. - 14. Program Evaluate changing or reducing parking requirements for second units (i.e. allowing tandem parking for second units). Time Frame: December 2012 Responsible Agency: Planning/Building Quantified Objective: N/A 15. Program Update the Second Unit'ordinance to allow detached second units to have. basements which do not count towards Maximum Floor Area (MFA). This will allow the second units to be developed with more than two (2) bedrooms, accommodating larger extremely low income (ELI) households. Time Frame: Responsible Agency: Quantified Objective: December 2011 Planning/Building N/A J: Policy Work and cooperate with the Foothill-DeAnza Community College District in the development of student, faculty and employee housing apartments at Foothill College. 16. Program Support Foothill College in potential future development of affordable student, faculty, and employee housing on " the Draft 2009 Housing Element Los Altos Hills General Plan Page HE- 58