Speaker numbers apply only to this recording.
The committee met to discuss proposed amendments to the Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) ordinance, an update on vape store legislation, and to decide on the timing of future zoning case reviews. Chair noted the meeting would be kept to one hour and removed the vacant property legislation from the agenda due to insufficient new information.
ADU Ordinance Amendments: Karen Rennick presented draft language addressing three key areas: front setback for detached ADUs, maximum size (700 sq ft or 50% of primary unit up to 800 sq ft), and privacy screening in established neighborhoods. Councilmembers discussed the need for minimal intervention, the importance of allowing smaller ADUs (e.g., over a two-car garage at about 420 sq ft), and the potential for conversion of existing basements. Concerns were raised about adding costs like fencing. The committee leaned towards requiring ADU entrances to face the rear or interior rather than mandating screening. Staff will return with refined language including a table of size options.
Vape Store Legislation: Staff provided an update on drafting a zoning ordinance amendment to regulate vape stores (referred to as recreational substance retail). They are waiting for a list of permitted stores from TABC and plan to map locations. Discussion included co-location with liquor stores, the state's existing role in regulating age-restricted sales, and the high percentage of illegal products sold. Councilmember Hill noted that 86% of vape shop products are illegal. Staff will continue drafting and will send a courtesy letter to existing stores if regulations pass.
Meeting Structure for Zoning Cases: The committee agreed to move the zoning case review session to the last Tuesday of each month, ensuring it occurs two weeks before cases come before the full council. This change aims to reduce deferrals and give applicants more time to address council concerns.
I'd like to call to order our planning, joining, and housing committee meeting. Thank you all for being here today. You have your agenda in front of you. I do want to make one slight modification. And I think that well, two things. My goal, because we have such a tight schedule today, is really to keep this meeting to an hour. I mean, we may not need an hour, but I know that we've got a tight schedule. And if there's things that we need to roll over to further conversation, we'll just schedule another time. I know that we can take C off of the agenda, the proposed vacant property legislation. There's really not enough new information right now to go into that today, so that gives us a little more time to talk about the other topics. So just the purpose of this meeting in my mind is to flesh out some of the conversation or to have a fuller conversation about some of the topics that have already been placed on the table, which are on your agenda. We have an ADU ADU ordinance amendment as well as the vape store legislation that you and Councilman Harvey brought before us a few weeks ago. So I'd like to use this meeting at least to start working on those two and see where we go from here. And then I'd also, since this is our first official meeting with the new structure outside of what we do in the council room, is to talk about what's the best structure for for us going forward. I I haven't heard any feedback about the way cases are zoning cases are presented to the council. So towards the end of this meeting, I'd like to talk a little bit about is that the most effective way? Are we still a week out? Is that still a good timeline for reviewing cases before they come before council, or do we need to talk about some other options? Okay. So I will start with we'll start with old business, which is the proposed ADU ordinance amendments. And I asked Karen Rennick to join us. She's put together some suggested language, and it's still in the draft phone. So this is really to discuss the options that are before us. What are we missing? What do we need to add or or delete? And I think Karen's got some copies in addition to the things that you all received. And I just shared these notes with you all, and Nicole, with you also. So in advance, um, I can just ask to get those sent to the folder and I'm sharing with that. So just to bring us to where we are today, a few months ago, some constituents expressed a concern to more than one city council person about the ADUs, and it's been over a year, so it was a time to revisit it anyway. When it was brought to my attention, it was brought to my attention to make sure that the intention of the ordinance was being followed through by those that are asking for permits. And so this amendment addresses that, and that's something that I would like to discuss to see how we want to bring that forward to the council to vote on any amendments. Above above the fact that it was time to review it anyway. So with that, I'm gonna pass it on to Karen if you want to lead the discussion from there. I appreciate it. Okay, and Brian's here also. So we these are this is um stuff we've already talked about. A staff's gonna be here today. Yeah, um, yes. Um, and so one of the um, so yeah, Brian did the ADU presentation, we did kind of an overview of ADUs, and those links are here, and I mean they're in the digital file, and then we did the ADU dashboard. And so our initial council guidance, and this was um shared through um councilwoman burrs was three items. Um, and um, so maybe kind of go over the kind of the way this is structured, that initial guidance, staff response, some additional guidance suggestions. Um, some of this is coming from Councilman Henderson, he's not able to be here today, so I had to have a discussion with him, and then some staff suggestions.