HomeMy WebLinkAbout11/27/2018 Item 11, Pollon
From:Joe Pollon <
To:E-mail Council Website
Subject:Section E. Recreational Vehicles as Tiny Houses in Residential Zones.
Dear Mayor and City Council Members,
My name is Joe Pollon. I am a licensed building contractor and tiny home builder here in San Luis Obispo County. I offer
temporary backyard tiny homes for rent to families with aging parents as a more affordable option to an assisted living
facility.
I wholeheartedly support your efforts to allow tiny homes as Accessory Dwelling Units within the city limits and the
proposed Ordinance is a great first step that I would love to see passed. As time goes by I am sure the need for some
minor modifications will arise and be addressed. However, there is one critical modification I would encourage you to
address BEFORE passage.
Before I get to that, it’s important to decide whether the council’s attitude toward these moveable tiny homes is going
to be one of tolerance or encouragement. Moveable tiny homes are a new housing option with some unknowns and
there is understandable reluctance to dive in head first. However, an attitude of tolerance will be transmitted to staff,
transmitted to and felt by the public and, ultimately discourage the affordable housing stock this ordinance is intended
to address.
For the most part the Ordinance is encouraging. However, Section 19E.1.b. Time Limit allows only a 12-month to three
year approval period. Tiny homes can cost from $30,000 to over $100,000. Setting up the infrastructure-- the pad, the
utilities, and getting the unit into place-- can easily add another $5,000-$10,000. That is a lot of money to invest when
facing the possibility of having to remove it in just three years (or less). By my calculations, that’s about $11,000 to
$35,000 per year for 300 square feet- not really the affordable housing we are trying to achieve. Except for rental units
like mine which are intended to be placed for only 1-3 years, I don’t think you’ll get many, if any, applications with that
short time limit in place.
The current wording of the section reads as follows:
b. Time Limit. The approval of a movable tiny house through a Director’s Action shall automatically expire after a 12-month
period, unless a longer period is specified in the approval up to a maximum of three years, or unless an extension is granted by
the Director. The Director may deny a time extension if the property is determined to be out of compliance with the standards
of this subsection.
I would suggest a ten year approval with automatic five year extensions provided the property remains in compliance
with the original approval conditions. For example,
b. Time Limit. The approval of a movable tiny house through a Director’s Action shall automatically expire after a ten year
period unless an extension, not to exceed five years, is granted by the Director. The Director may revoke approval or deny a
time extension if the property is determined to be out of compliance with the standards of this subsection.
Thank you very much for your work on this subject.
Sincerely,
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Joe Pollon
Pollon Construction
License #617874
E-mail: joepollon@gmail.com
Cell: 805-235-8028
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