ITEM4.2 TOWN OF LOS ALTOS HILLS July 25, 2013 Staff Report to the Planning Commission SUBJECT:.AMENDivIBNT TO THE ZONil'{G ORD:fr.JANCE 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:::B>~ APPROVED BY: Debbie Pedro, AICP, Planning Directorl:tf'~r Pe,_'b\oie.. t>cjro RECOMMENDATION: That the Planning Commission: Forward a recommendation to the City Council to adopt the proposed amendment to L9s A~tos Hills Municipal Code Title 10, Chapter 1, Article 6 - Off Street Parking. BACKGROUND Pursuant to Policy I, Program 14. of the 2009.Housing Element adopted by _the-,dty.. 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 Unjts n~ed two {2) covt:(red 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 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. ( ' 1~. Ord 305, eff. October 3, 1986; 2, Ord 329, ejf. October 20, 1989; 1, Ord 419, eff. Mr;rrch 9, 2002),-....,... ;.
Staff Report to the Planning Commission Secondary Dwelling Parking Requirements July25, 2013 Page 2 of2 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 offstreet 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 (JO) 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!j_~-~~~q~ll-!~~-f~~_in t~11~~~_or ~LII1:U~ f o!'!!l~t]()!!_!~~<:>!h~! r~_qu_ii:~4- p_aslci.ng ~P~~~ 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 (CEQA) 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 1 ORDINANCE NO. ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE TOWN OF LOS ALTOS HILLS 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 ("Town") wishes to amend the Municipal Code Title 10, Chapter 1, Article 6 with regard to required off-street "-=""---------p-ar~kiil~g_,...fo-r~secondary 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 1 (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. Each primary dwelling shall provide surfaced off-street parking facilities. f01: a. minimum of four (4) cars, including a minimum of two (2) covered parking spaces for eaeh new primary dwelling. Each second dwelling shall provide surfaced offstreet parking facilities for a minimum of one car in addition to the four (4) required for: theprimary dwelling. Each parking space shall be at least ten '(lo)fe.et wide- and..' at-least twenty (20)feet long. Unobstructed vehicular access shall be avaiiabie atall : times for fotir ( 4) parking spaces. All parking spaces shall comply with setback st~ndards per Article 5 of this chapter.. \. -... 2. SEVERABILITY. If any provision of this ordinance or the application thereof to any person or circumstance is hel4 invalid or unconstitutional, the remainder of this ordim!ilc~, )ncluding the application of such part or provision to other: persons: Of qircum~tances.shall not be affected thereby and shall continue in full force and effect. To this end, provisions of this ordinance are severable. The City Counciybf the Town of Los Altos Hills hereby declares that it would have passed each section, subsection, subdivision, paragraph, sentence, clause, or phrase hereof irrespective of the fact that any one. or more sections, subsections, subdivisions, paragraphs, sentences, clauses, or phrases ~be h~ld unconstitutional, invalid, or unenforceable. I~ 3. EFFECTIVE DATE; PUBLICATION. This ordinance shall. become effective thirty (30) days from the date of its passage. Within 15 days after its passage, this ordinance shall be published once~ with the names of those City Council.Members. yotjng for or against it, in the Los Altos Town Crier, a newspaper of general circulation in the Town of Los Altos Hills, as required by law. INTRODUCED: PASSED: AYES: 1 of2
NOES: ABSTENTIONS: ABSENT: BY: --------- Mayor ATTEST: City Clerk APPROVED AS TO FORM: City Attorney 2 of2
ATTACHMENT2 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 _ th~ _ IJr~_dll_ctkm _ ()( ~e_c:ond units!h!o_ugh _ the ~~peditesl administrative review process. TimeFrame: Ongoing Planning 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 eaph applicant for development of a residential parcel within the Town, to exjsting residents interested in developing new secqnd µnits or conv~rt~ng; portions of existing primary units, and. to seniors seetqng opportunities to remain in Los Altos Hills.- Jbe; secp~d -wll~ brochures shall also be provided to all owners of property pre_zoned 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 effectiveness in 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 wili adopt additionaf Draft 2009 Housing Element Los Altos Hills General Plan Page HE- 57
incentives and revise its Housing Element accordingly. Disseminate brochure by December 2012. Review effectiveness of incentives on an annual basis. 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. Quantiti~d ()bj~~tive: August2013 14. Program Evaluate changing or reducing parking requirements for second units (i.e. allowing tandem parking for second units). December 2012 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. December 2011 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