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Published on 11/24/1997 All articles from this issue

Secondary dwelling units key to approving Los Altos Hills housing element

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By Carol Tiegs / Town Crier Staff Writer

Los Altos Hills City Council members hope to encourage construction of secondary dwelling units as a keystone to satisfying state affordable housing requirements and winning certification of the town's housing element. The council held an information-only discussion of the proposed housing element at its Nov. 19 meeting.

The housing element is one of seven state-mandated items of a municipality general plan, said Curtis Williams, town planning director.

"The housing element is the most dictated, most regulated of the general plan elements," said Dane Anderson, town consultant on the housing portion of the plan.

The housing element requirement evolved in the 1980s from state legislative concerns over the statewide lack of affordable housing. It requires communities to conduct an assessment of housing needs and develop an inventory of resources and constraints relative to meeting those needs. The California Government Code also requires "a statement of the community's goals, quantified objectives and policies relative to the maintenance, preservation, improvement and development of housing."

Local governments must develop a program with a five-year schedule of actions to achieve the goals of the housing mandates.

"(Los Altos Hills) has next to no housing needs and concerns, but it must meet its fair share of the regional housing needs," Anderson said.

Those regional needs are determined by the Association of Bay Area Governments, Anderson said. The association establishes regional fair share for individual communities in four income categories: very low, low, moderate and above moderate.

The association set fair-share allocations in 1988, based on projections for regional growth made at that time, Anderson said.

Los Altos Hills' fair share allocation was 34 very-low income residences, 27 low income, 38 moderate and 125 above moderate income residences.

"The town has made great strides in meeting the goals set out in 1988," Anderson said.

olicies that encouraged construction of secondary dwelling units are the reason, he said.

"Secondary dwellings are the best possible way to meet state requirements for affordable housing if we're ever going to do it," said councilwoman Elayne Dauber.

The proposed housing element contains several programs designed to encourage development of "residential second units," including elimination of the housing fee and allowing staff level approval of such units.

Dot Schreiner of the town planning commission told the council that Codes and ordinances regarding secondary dwellings need to be clarified in conjunction with development of the housing element.

"What we're really setting up is two separate residences on one lot," she said of projects coming before the planning commission. "This gets away from the intent to provide affordable housing."

The council plans to hold a public hearing on the proposed housing element of the general plan and its incentives for constructing secondary dwellings as a source of affordable housing. The hearing date will be set at the council's Jan. 7 meeting. Council plans to send notification to all town residents, including a summary of the proposed building incentives.

The January council agenda will also include review of proposed process for the off-road pathway plan. The proposal is being developed by City Manager Jeff Peterson and Mayor Toni Casey based on public input.

Council on Nov. 19 appointed a subcommittee to work with a consultant on a process to update the town's general plan. The consultant is expected to be hired in January. The update process will include a variety of workshops and public hearings.

The council's next meeting is scheduled for January 7, 1998.