pages: CityCouncil/2022-01-04.pdf, 19
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CityCouncil | 2022-01-04 | 19 | Councilmember Herrera Spencer further inquired whether the square footage would remain unless changed by Council, to which the Planning, Building and Transportation Director responded in the affirmative. In response to Councilmember Herrera Spencer's inquiry related to additional units, the Planning, Building and Transportation Director stated the City it could be part of the same ordinance; if Council desires to limit all ADUs on SB 9 projects to 800 square feet, the ordinance should be clear; he believes State law allows the City to implement the limit. Councilmember Herrera Spencer expressed support for the 800 square foot limit on ADUs; stated the size provides more opportunity for affordable housing; the City should try to end up with as many 800 square foot units as possible; she is interested in revisiting the waiver of fees for any ADU; expressed support for the waiver being limited to units which are deed restricted to affordable housing; she is unsure why the City is waiving fees for building 1,200 to 1,600 square foot units; inquired whether rent control would not apply to any of the proposed units. The City Attorney responded in the affirmative. Councilmember Herrera Spencer stated the best opportunity for ending up with affordable units is to limit the size; it is important for the matter to return to Council. Vice Mayor Vella stated the discussion is best to be had along with the Housing Element; based on questions posed and misinformation circulated, it should be part of the broader Housing Element discussion; there is unlikelihood of people maximizing the units; she does not see developers coming in and maximizing the units; affordability and other requirements will make housing infeasible; expressed support for striking a balance in order to get units and meet the intent of SB 9 and for having an Alameda ordinance; stated a cap is not necessarily needed; she appreciates the Planning Board recommendation; she would like to see something that will allow for flexibility in terms of square footage; a number of factors go into the price of a home, not just the square footage of the unit; her preference is not to cap the square footage; there could be a reason to have a 1,200 square foot ADU; she is leaning towards allowing as much flexibility as possible; the City is in the middle of a housing crisis and housing has been deemed a Council priority; Council needs to prioritize building housing. Councilmember Daysog stated that he believes Council needs to move quickly, yet carefully; he does not think Council should wait until the Housing Element is complete; expressed support for an 800 square foot maximum, two to four units, and dispersion of units; stated the history of Alameda includes people taking advantage of the opportunity to build more and is why Measure A was created; it is incumbent upon Council to respect the history for those who are Article 26 stalwarts,; soon enough, people will exploit the opportunity by building as many housing units as possible; Council needs to carefully craft the ordinance and should not wait; expressed support for Council working with City staff and allowing for public input. Mayor Ezzy Ashcraft stated that she does not want to fold the matter in with the Housing Element process due to the need to address the housing shortage sooner rather than later; Council has provided many good suggestions for staff to return with an revised ordinance; expressed support for a cap on unit size, which provides a better chance at affordable by design units and more housing opportunities; stated a dispersion requirement makes sense; design can maximize small square footage; she would vote for a unit size limit; expressed support for Regular Meeting Alameda City Council January 4, 2022 19 | CityCouncil/2022-01-04.pdf |