pages: CommissiononPersonswithDisabilities/2017-07-25.pdf, 4
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CommissiononPersonswithDisabilities | 2017-07-25 | 4 | ITEM 2-B COMMISSION ON DISABILITY ISSUES MEETING MINUTES OF THE SPECIAL MEETING ON Tuesday, July 25, 2017 6:30 p.m. Andrew Thomas: The problem with the current system, the developer, the people who are investing in housing, and let's be honest, 90% of the housing built in California and in Alameda is built by private sector investors, they need to know. They need to know what's the cost. It's these last minute things, these things they don't know until the very, very end of the project that are the most damaging. So what we're saying is here, we'll tell you right now what it is, on day one, it's up here. But what we're also saying is we get it, each project's a little bit different. We get that this might be a very high standard. And we're not saying we won't have the conversation, we will have the conversation if you want to have a conversation with us and our Planning Commission you are more than welcome to. But we're starting here, you tell us what you cannot do with your project, and why you can't do it and let's have the Planning Board come up with some alternative ways to make the project as good as it can be. So we're not saying that these conversations go away entirely, but we're trying to set our new city standard. That's where the conversation starts. Andrew Thomas: I think the other just thing that I'll point out about this, I'll let you ask any questions that you have and I won't try to go through every piece of this ordinance. But I think this ordinance does something that - I'll be honest with you - 20, 30 years of working and planning as planners we just didn't talk about it. We talk about Universal Design, we talk about ADA, we talk about access. This concept of visitability, your Commissioner Brillinger, really was the one who started pushing this. This concept of it's not just about where people with mobility issues can live, that's obviously an important issue. We as Alamedans we have friends with disability issues, they should be at least visit us in our homes and that's just a very powerful concept. When I think about what this ordinance does that's a concept that really comes out loud and clear in this ordinance and I do think you're going to start seeing other cities looking at this ordinance. Andrew Thomas: They may not adopt this ordinance exactly the way it is, but they're going to pick a lot of the things that you all came up with and we've sort of crafted in this ordinance. And I think it will influence not only the way we build buildings here in Alameda but ultimately I think this ordinance is going to have an effect statewide, because what'll happen is other cities will start looking at this ordinance, they'll pick up pieces of it, they'll adopt sections of it and it's really going to move the ball forward here in California on this issue. With that I'm here to thank all of you, I'm here to thank Audrey and David, and everyone else who has worked on this. And staff is very proud and happy to be recommending it, not just to the Planning Commission and not just to this board but also ultimately to the city council. I'm available to answer any questions. Elizabeth Kenny: Thank you very much. Now we will go around and if you have any questions about the Universal Design, it's your chance to ask them. And then we'll have public comment, and then we'll go around once more and you can make any comments that you want and then we'll take a vote. Let's start with you Commissioner Brillinger, Vice Chair Brillinger. Arnold Brillinger: I'm not so sure that I have questions, but comments. I think that we need to remember that this is a plus. This is a plus for Alameda. This is a plus for the home builders, and a plus for the people who buy the homes. The builders need to make sure that their buyers understand that they've got something special. It's not just like the houses in the next city, in the next county. They have something special. They are accessible. They are visitable. And Andrew said something: I've been championing this. I've done it in front of the city council. I've done it in front of the October 11, 2017 Page 4 of 13 | CommissiononPersonswithDisabilities/2017-07-25.pdf |