Roseville introduces zoning and subdivision ordinances

Roseville City Council approved modifications for the zoning ordinance and the subdivision ordinance during its Wednesday meeting. The ordinances impact residents as the changes presented in the ordinance make it easier for those who rely on Roseville's affordable housing projects. Roseville senior planner Lauren Hocker, and Roseville Planning Manager Greg Bitter discussed the ordinances' modifications at Wednesday's meeting. Both ordinances are under Roseville's Municipal Code as Title 18, Subdivision Ordinance, and Title 19, Zoning Ordinance. The ordinances' modifications are a result of state Senate bills passed in 2021. The first ordinance is in regard to residential development standards, density bonus regulations and accessory dwelling units. The second ordinance relates to the hearing authority and tentative map applications for residential areas of Roseville. This means it will be easier for residents to build affordable housing projects and to split their single-family residential properties, according to Roseville City Councilman Scott Alvord and Roseville Public Information Officer Brian Jacobson. According to Hocker, three Senate bills were passed in 2021 in relation to subjects under the first ordinance. Specifically, Assembly Bill 345 addressed the sale of accessory dwelling units. "What that (the bill) does is creates a very narrow circumstances where separate sale of an ADU (accessory dwelling unit) is allowed in that narrow circumstances when a nonprofit has built either the primary or the ADU and wants to sell the ADU as a deed-restricted affordable housing unit for lower income households." Roseville needs to modify the ordinance to "reflect the narrow instance that sale is permitted," Hocker said. Senate Bill 290 touches on density bonus changes and how it adds new parking reductions. "There are existing parking reductions where only half a space per unit is required for lower income units that are within half a mile of high-quality transit or meeting some other locational criteria," Hocker said. "That reduction is now being extended to moderate income units in addition to lower income units." Senate Bill 9 now allows all properties that are zoned single-family to have two primary units per lot and also are permitted to have one ministerial two- lot parcel map under a ministerial permit. A ministerial permit is non-discretionary, does not involve a public hearing, and uses objective standards to determine whether an application can be approved, according to Jacobson. Pertaining to the second ordinance, the city is looking to implement the Housing Element Program 16, which prioritizes affordable housing. According to Hocker and Bitter's presentation, the city wants to make lot line adjustments, streamline parcel maps and implement voluntary mergers to construct more affordable housing projects, 20 percent to be designated affordable housing for low-income households. In addition, the second ordinance's modifications are to make property consolidation phasing easier and avoid a required entitlement from the city for projects, according to Hocker. Following the presentation, Alvord received clarification that this presentation is simply seeking "administrative" approval from the council as part of amending the ordinance. Councilwoman Pauline Roccucci added how it's important to know and learn of these changes so that council can provide clarity for the public. "If there's a member of the public who has questions, they can check with you (the Council) or get more information on 'What does that mean?'" Roccucci said. "Because a lot of people aren't really (aware) of something unless they see something being changed in the next house next door." The modifications to the zoning and subdivisions ordinances were unanimously approved by the council and will go into effect immediately after the second hearing of the ordinances, which is scheduled to take place on May 20th. In other news Roseville City Council appointed Roseville resident Naaz Alikhan to the Roseville's Economic Development Advisory Committee. Alikhan's term on the committee is effective immediately and expires on June 30, 2023. Besides Alikhan, three other Roseville residents applied for the committee position: Jim Claybaugh, Dawn Holm and Jay Reed. Alikhan received four votes from the council and Reed received one vote. The motion to appoint Alikhan was unanimously passed by the Council.