Dear RCAC Members -- I'll be proposing we adopt this resolution tonight. It's a slightly modified version of the online petition here<http://www.change.org/de/Petitionen/raleigh-city-council-and-compre…ts>. (I've had difficultly in getting a link to this posted to the Raleigh UDO site and now the wrapper language is in German (?!?!), but the petition language is in English.) *Backyard Cottage Opt-In Resolution* Backyard cottages and accessory dwelling units are appropriate and desired in some neighborhoods but not others, particularly because Raleigh cannot require the owner to live on site. We ask the Comprehensive Planning Committee to recommend and the City Council to adopt these dwelling units on an opt-in basis with high design standards, including having the setbacks and the total number of unrelated people the same as for the primary dwelling. Many neighborhoods have restrictive covenants that will forbid these units, even if they are allowed by the proposed Unified Development Ordinance. But many older neighborhoods do not have such covenants. Making these units possible on an opt-in basis will allow the neighborhoods to define other requirements appropriate to their neighborhood's context. We encourage Council to start with one overlay/pilot district. It will allow our citizens to understand and have a say in the future of their individual neighborhoods. This compromise will be good for the future of our city.