The Alameda City Council will consider introducing at its meeting on Oct. 17, 2017, what would be the most expensive set of residential universal design requirements in the entire state of California. BIA|Bay Area and its residential development members have repeatedly advised Alameda staff against adopting the more stringent and mandatory provisions of the draft ordinance for months, warning them that it will add tens of thousands of dollars to the cost of new townhomes and other homes. State officials earlier this year declined to move in this direction due to cost considerations given California’s severe housing affordability crisis. Click here to view the agenda and scroll to Item No. 6F to see the staff report and the city’s response to BIA|Bay Area’s opposition letter. Click here to view BIA’s letter of April 26, 2017, which outlines the association’s many concerns about the draft ordinance. For questions or comments, contact BIA’s LIsa Vorderbrueggen at 925-348-1956 or lvorderbrueggen@biabayarea.org.
