2009-07-06 - Laserfiche WebLink

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8 Mr. Huja said the proposed changes are good and he supports them. He said he remains concerned that there is no transit service to the Greenbrier neighborhood. It was the consensus of Council to support the changes recommended by Mr. Watterson. Mr. Huja suggested that staff work with other organizations to promote CTS, and to engage middle and high school students. REPORT : COMMISSION ON CHILDREN AND FAMILIES ANNUAL REPORT Ms. Gretchen Ellis, Executive Director of the Commission on Children and Families, highlighted the Commission’s annual report. She announced that Charlottesville and Albemarle have been awarded a Safe Schools grant which will provide funds for a three-year old pre-k class and mental health clinicians. Ms. Edwards asked what CCF would need to expand youth development, and Ms. Ellis said funding for outreach in the community. Ms. Edwards said there is an opportunity to place the CSA process under the Department of Social Services and expand to other community partners. Ms. Edwards asked if there would be value in having a CSA director. Ms. Ellis said she thinks it would be good if the director had authority and responsibility. Dr. Brown said it is important to keep kids locally. ORDINANCE : ZONING AMENDMENT RE: ACCESSORY DWELLING UNITS Mr. Read Brodhead, Zoning Administrator, said that accessory dwelling units can currently occupy 30% of the rear yard. He said accessory units were designed to be subordinate to the main unit but there has been an instance where that was not the case. He said staff has sought to tighten up the ordinance. He said one option, recommended by the Planning Commission, is to allow the accessory unit to be 40% of the footprint of the primary dwelling unit. He said another option is to take the average footprint of properties touching this property, then take 40% of that. He said the Planning Commission recommended that the height of the eave of the accessory unit not be taller than the primary unit, and not more than 30% of the rear yard. He said occupancy in the accessory units is limited to two unrelated persons. Mr. Norris asked if we should change the entire ordinance because of one instance. Mr. Jim Tolbert, Director of Neighborhood Development Services, said that separate accessory dwelling units were not allowed until 2003. He said the concern is that while we have not had a lot of them yet, staff felt there should be more restrictions because the ordinance did not adequately address it initially. Mr. Norris said smaller primary units will be penalized and larger houses can have bigger accessory units. Mr. Tolbert said they are supposed to be accessory and subordinate, not creating a second unit. Mr. Huja said he does not want to create something that will not fit into the neighborhood. th Mr. Norris said he has been told that properties in the 10 and Page neighborhood could not have accessory units with these new rules.