ADU to condo conversion proposal
On May 11, the Planning Board will hold a study session on proposed updates to the City’s accessory dwelling unit (ADU) and condominium conversion ordinances centered on whether Alameda should allow ADUs to be sold separately as condominiums. Below is a summary of what will be discussed and how you can participate.
[1]Proposal updates
Proposed updates to the ADU and condominium conversion ordinances center on a new question created by state law: Should Alameda allow ADUs to be sold separately as condominiums? Staff says the option could encourage more homeowners to build ADUs by creating an ownership product that can be sold independently, while also offering a lower-cost path to homeownership because ADUs are smaller and simpler than detached single-family homes.
Staff acknowledges concerns that allowing condominium conversions could erode Alameda’s rental housing supply. They argue, however, that the risk is limited: The City has approved roughly 50 ADUs per year since 2017, yielding at least 450 ADUs, compared with approximately 16,500 rental units citywide. Even if every ADU were converted, the total would amount to less than 3% of Alameda’s rental stock.
Beyond condominium conversion, the ordinance overhaul would modernize Alameda’s ADU rules to comply with state law and revisit several local policy choices. Proposed areas for Board feedback include adding a front-yard setback to discourage ADUs that disrupt neighborhood streetscapes, reconsidering Alameda’s unusually permissive uncapped number of converted ADUs on multifamily lots, clarifying how additions to legal nonconforming accessory structures should be handled, and tightening language around off-street parking when garages are converted to ADUs.
Staff will also propose procedural changes, such as clearer triggers for Design Review when ADU projects include decks or rooftop structures, and whether to begin charging proportional impact fees on larger ADUs.
The Planning Board will provide policy direction before staff returns later with a full ordinance for public hearing and eventual City Council consideration.
How to participate
The meeting will be held on Monday, May 11, at 7 p.m. in City Council Chambers, located on the third floor of City Hall, 2263 Santa Clara Avenue.
Members of the public may participate in person or via Zoom. They may comment on the Non-Agenda, Consent Calendar, and Regular Agenda portions of the Meeting Agenda [3] (link downloads document).
The Non-Agenda portion of the meeting provides an opportunity to address the Board regarding any matter not on the agenda over which the Board has jurisdiction. The Consent Calendar is for routine items approved by a single motion. The Regular Agenda is the central portion of the meeting, during which each issue receives a presentation and time for Board discussion and public comment.
Submit requests for reasonable accommodation via an online form [4].
For Zoom registration, click here [5]. Information to assist with Zoom participation is here [6]. The Zoom phone number for telephone participants is 669-900-9128, and the Meeting ID is 815 3979 3319. Community members may also email Board Members [7] before the meeting.
Contributing writer Karin K. Jensen covers boards and commissions for the Alameda Post [8]. Contact her via [email protected] [9]. Her writing is collected at https://linktr.ee/karinkjensen [10] and https://alamedapost.com/Karin-K-Jensen [11].