pages: CommissiononPersonswithDisabilities/2016-10-12.pdf, 15
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CommissiononPersonswithDisabilities | 2016-10-12 | 15 | Carol Gottstein: Hi, I'm Carol Gottstein The way I have to speak, avoid the feedback and still be heard. I was asked by a member of the Planning Board to comment on the Universal Design Ordinance. And unbeknownst to me, but fortunately last night at the Planning Board, an architect, a man who designed Shinsei Gardens, his name is Eric Mikiten and he is in a wheelchair, and he is an AIA architect. He will be designing the access to, I think it's called Building 8 out at the base. And he came to speak on elements of Universal Design, and specifically compared the proposed draft ordinance of Alameda to the existing ordinances of Fremont, Dublin, Hayward, Sacramento because a lot of it's borrowed from pre-existing ordinances. There's some problems with our ordinance irrespective of the letter that was submitted so it still needs some work. Carol Gottstein: One thing I noticed, and that this architect also remarked on, is that the builder of the residence has an obligation to offer and to offer to install Universal Design features, but the buyer has to pay for them. So you could conceivably have people with the identical disability, but one of them could afford the design features, and one of them couldn't. And that seems a little lacking in the social justice department, to me. I don't know how to get around it, but it's actually popped up in some of the other existing city Universal Design Ordinances that are already on the books. In ours, it's Section 18.7 on page 506. The letter that we have received is from Tim Lewis Communities, they're the developer that's building the Del Monte development. And I can understand why that company would object, because they're trying to fit a certain number of units, basically the maximum number, in an already confined space, they can't go outside the brick walls of the Del Monte Cannery. Carol Gottstein: So, if you require that entrances be wider and aisles be wider, they're going to have to give up some of the units they've already planned to put in the same space. Anyway, if you're thinking of having a speaker come, I would really encourage you to invite this Erick Mikiten, who has an architecture firm in Berkeley, because he was great. Thanks. Elizabeth Kenny: Thank you. In our Joint Subcommittee meetings, we did discuss Section 18.7 being problematic, and just unclear. So thank you, and I agree. Have any other comments on this agenda item? Susan T. Deutsch: Well, it's just, when we first started this committee, and working on Universal Design, somebody else came and spoke to us. And it was somebody who Kelly knew, and she presented the concept of Universal Design. And she also, pretty clear, that it doesn't cost more to build homes or units with Universal Design. And I'd like to try to find her input. Because she was giving examples of other cities that have done it. And they really had very good design ordinances. I'd like to try to find out. Elizabeth Kenny: Great, yes. We can definitely get in touch with former Commissioner Harp, find who has contact information. Susan T. Deutsch: Yes. And I might have the contact information, too. Elizabeth Kenny: So I think that concludes old business. And we're going into staff communications. 6. STAFF COMMUNICATIONS Page | 15 | CommissiononPersonswithDisabilities/2016-10-12.pdf |