‘Granny units’ eyed to solve housing crunch

Petaluma officials are explore easing regulations on secondary housing units to create more housing stock.|

Amid an escalating affordable housing crisis, Petaluma officials Tuesday took the first step in easing regulations imposed on residents constructing additional living spaces on their properties and in their homes.

The updates to the city’s zoning ordinance, which were prompted by three state laws signed into effect last year, are intended make it easier for Petalumans to construct accessory dwelling structures, or “granny units” that are attached to their residences or built separately on their properties. It also creates a new classification and associated rules for converting an existing bedroom in a single family home into independent living quarters, known as “junior second units.”

Officials view granny units and junior second units as a unique way to house a wide swath of the city’s population – from relatives to care providers to members of the local workforce – inside already developed residential neighborhoods. The Sonoma County Board of Supervisors in January adopted similar changes to the county’s zoning code to meet state requirements and fast track development of those affordable units.

Petaluma took steps in 2010 to reduce development fees for granny units, with current costs for development penciling out to $11,650 compared to $40,082 for a single family home. An average of five granny units are constructed in the city each year, Senior Planner Scott Duiven said.

After the planning commission’s unanimous approval of the new language, the discussion is headed next to city council for consideration at its July 17 meeting.

The amended regulations lessen roadblocks to development, increase the allowable size of a granny unit from 640 square feet to 720 square feet and ease parking mandates if certain requirements, like proximity to public transportation or car sharing services are met.

Junior second units would be allowed wherever single-family homes are permitted, though there can be only one junior second unit or granny unit on any such residential lot. Junior second units can be no more than 500 square feet and must be developed within an existing bedroom. The unit is required to have a separate entry as well as a small “efficiency kitchen” and the homeowner must live on the property. The unit can include either a built-in bathroom or access to a restroom in the existing home.

In an effort to preserve the new housing for long-term tenants, the commission moved to include language stipulating that new units be rented out for a minimum of 30 days.

“The point of this law is to … increase housing stock in the long term, not short term, extra income vacation rentals,” Chairwoman Diana Gomez said.

Lina Hoshino, a local business owner who formed a coalition to urge local elected officials to address a lack of affordable housing, spoke in favor of the changes.

“Our workers are having a real rough time finding a place to live,” she said. “When we put our heads together to discuss affordable housing issues, junior accessory units and accessory units were one of the solutions we discussed as a possible piece of the puzzle to solve this crisis we’re directly hurting from … I am in full agreement with those who spoke out in favor of restricting the use.”

The discussion comes as the city continues its attempts to work with short term vacation rental websites to obtain contact information for local operators who have continued to flout the city’s regulations for obtaining permits and paying transient occupancy taxes. The city plans this year to hire a revenue collections officer that officials believe will in part help monitor and regulate rogue operators.

Duiven acknowledged challenges surrounding regulating short term rentals, and said that discussions about how to keep operators of the new units in check will be ongoing as the rules continue to take shape.

“That’s part of what we need to dig into still,” he said.

Robert Doane, who has for four years been trying to convert the garage of his roughly 1,110-square-foot east side home into a granny unit, said the new rules don’t go far enough in streamlining the process and eliminating “onerous” parking requirements. Even with the proposed changes, to convert his garage to a 400-square-foot granny unit, it appears he’d have to shell out at least $20,000 to create two new parking spots to meet city code, he said.

He’s long viewed the garage conversion as a way to lend a hand to create more affordable housing as rents skyrocket in the city, but he said the cost is still too steep to justify the project.

“I’m frustrated that there are so many various pieces to what is essentially a very simple thing,” he said.

(Contact Hannah Beausang at hannah.beausang@arguscourier.com.)

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