'Second Unit' Plan Moves on to City Council

After four public hearings and countless hour of staff time, the Piedmont Planning Commission this week gave its blessing to a plan designed to provide more low to moderate-income housing within the city.

The proposed "second unit" ordinance will now go the Piedmont City Council with the commission's recommendation for approval.

The ordinance would make lengthy and detailed changes to the city's Municipal Code, all aimed at meeting state requirements that every California city provide its "fair share" of future housing needs at various income levels.

In its final form, the proposed ordinance:

• Makes it legal for Piedmont residents to rent bedrooms to tenants, something that's long been permitted in practice but was a gray area in legal terms. The new rules would permit renting more than one room only if all the rooms are covered by a single lease.
• Allows second units throughout the city. (A second unit has its own kitchen and bath; it may be within the main residential building or free-standing. Second units must meet a variety of health, safety, building code and design regulations.)
• Provides incentives for home owners to rent second units at various income levels, ranging from "extremely low income" to "moderate." The incentives include less restrictive parking regulations for some income categories.

City Planner Kate Black noted that property owners choose the tenants themselves, although tenants must meet the eligibility requirements for  the particular second unit. Teachers, graduate students and extended family members might be among those who qualify, she said. Piedmont's plan does not include so-called "Section 8" low-income housing, she added.

If the city council approves the ordinance, Planning Department staff will prepare user-friendly brochures and other information to help residents navigate the maze of regulations, Black said.