The Alameda City Council unanimously adopted the most stringent universal design ordinance in California but the new regulation does includes a waiver provision intended to address BIA|Bay Area and its members’ concerns about excessive costs along with an annual review of its effectiveness. BIA has repeatedly raised questions about the high cost of the new requirements. Click here download BIA’s letter of Oct. 13, 2017, to the city. Under the new rules, 100 percent of new residential units in Alameda must be “visitable” by a person with mobility issues — this means an entry with no steps, an accessible bathroom and living space. An additional 30 percent of new units must be equipped with advanced universal design features. Click here to view the staff report and associated attachments from the meeting of Oct. 17, 2017. The ordinance is expected to go into effect in late November 2017. For questions, contact BIA’s Lisa Vorderbrueggen at 925-348-1956 or lvorderbrueggen@biabayarea.org.
