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HomeMy WebLinkAbout10/10/2018, Item 2, Updegrove1 Subject:FW: Tiny Homes on Wheels - Questions/Concerns from SLO Association of Realtors Attachments:Tiny Home Standards to Consider - SLO Association of Realtors.pdf; ATT00001.htm From: Graham Updegrove <    Sent: Tuesday, October 2, 2018 3:31 PM  To: Codron, Michael <mcodron@slocity.org>; Davidson, Doug <ddavidson@slocity.org>; Bell, Kyle <KBell@slocity.org>  Cc: Dietrick, Christine <cdietrick@slocity.org>; E‐mail Council Website <emailcouncil@slocity.org>; Cindy Doll  <doll@slorealtors.org>  Subject: Tiny Homes on Wheels ‐ Questions/Concerns from SLO Association of Realtors    Good Afternoon Michael, Doug & Kyle,     On behalf of the SLO Association of Realtors®, I wanted to send a handful of questions and concerns that have been  brought to light amongst the real estate industry related to the City’s upcoming review of allowing “Tiny Homes on  Wheels” within zoning guidelines. My understanding is this will be discussed at Planning Commission on October 17th.  Note the Association has not taken any position and the goal was to provide staff with time to review this information  before the Planning Commission meeting. These are questions and concerns we hope will be considered and/or that we  believe consumers will be asking us (the real estate community) if tiny homes are approved. If you have any  questions please let me know and I’ll do my best to answer. If you feel a brief conversation or meeting would prove  beneficial, I would be happy to coordinate with 2 or 3 members from our Local Government Relations Committee. Thank  you for your time and consideration.     Tiny Homes The San Luis Obispo Association of Realtors® (SLO AOR) believes a community should encourage and allow for various housing types throughout the City that meet all income levels. We believe the City Council made the correct decision to seek further input regarding “tiny homes on wheels” (THOWs) before codifying standards and regulations of use. As this issue moves through various Advisory bodies, please evaluate the questions, considerations and concerns outlined below that we believe will be forthcoming should a tiny home ordinance be created. Questions: 1.Is the intent of Council that tiny homes on wheels will be used as a temporary or permanent fixture within the City? 2.How does the City envision tiny homes being hooked up to City utilities, such as water and sewer? 3.Does a tiny home that is built to American National Standards Institute (ANSI) standards and placed on a permanent foundation, then become an Accessory Dwelling Unit? 4.Can a tiny home be located in a driveway if it meets setback requirements. 5.How will tiny homes be taxed and/or assessed? 6.Must an owner obtain a business license if the tiny home is a rental? 7.Does a tiny home have to be placed in the backyard? Could it be in the front or side yard if it meets setback requirements? 8.If a tiny home is being used as a permanent residence, how can the City ensure it meets all the standards and requirements for other dwelling units? 9.What is the maximum number of people that would be allowed to live in a tiny home? 10.Does a mobile home qualify as a tiny home? 11.Does a tiny home needs it’s own electrical sub-panel or dedicated circuit? 12.What requirements would be in place for an “off-grid” tiny home that still meets health and safety standards? Considerations: 1.Define what constitutes a tiny home. 2.Clarify who tiny homes would benefit. 3.If tiny homes are intended to be a temporary use, a specific period of time during which THOWs will be allowed should be considered (i.e. 5-10 years). If permanent, consider a requirement that tiny homes be placed on permanent foundations. Tiny Homes On Wheels are recreational vehicles that are not built to California Building Code Standards. Recreational vehicles can not currently be lived in as a permanent dwelling and they are not designed for permanent use. 4.Provide examples of utility connections that would meet health and safety standards in addition to common examples of utility connection that would NOT meet health and safety standards. 5.Many residential lots in the City are between 5,000-8,000 square feet and there is typically no logical way to place a tiny home on a parcel without the use of a crane as fences, structures or lack of sufficient setbacks prevent a tiny home on wheels being placed in a backyard. The number of tiny homes that could be wheeled into place may be much lower than expected. 6.Consider design requirements such that a tiny home structure is compatible with the primary residence and the surrounding neighborhood. 7.Implement a minimum distance a tiny home must be located away from the primary residence to prevent the appearance of over-densification of neighborhoods. (Example: Fresno ordinance states a tiny home shall be a minimum of 6’ from the primary residence, or 10’ if there is an entry from either unit into the space between) 8.Consider a pilot program to implement tiny homes. 9.In lieu of tiny homes on wheels, consider easing the implementation and construction of Accessory Dwelling Units to add permanent housing stock to the City. (Example - The City of Clovis had plans created for 3 different “Cottage” options which property owners can use for free. This allows for expedited permit processing as designs are pre-approved by the City. Property owners using those designs can cut costs by ~$8,000-$10,000. The discounted fee does not apply to other design concepts. The max size of these Cottages is 400sf.) Concerns 1.Use of tiny homes creates an increased burden on infrastructure and utilities. If the tiny home is considered personal property, the City/County will not receive increased property tax dollars to deal with that increased use. How can this be addressed? 2.Although not allowed, tiny homes are likely to be used for Airbnb/short term vacation rental and regulation of that use would require additional staff time and money. 3.If registered sex offenders live in tiny homes, issues surrounding Megan’s Law may present themselves as tiny homes on wheels are mobile by nature. 4.CC&Rs of some master planned communities or neighborhoods may not allow for tiny homes.