I encourage everyone to take the time to watch the RTN video of yesterday's
UDO review meeting.
http://raleigh.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=24
<http://raleigh.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=24&clip_id=2997>
&clip_id=2997
Travis Crane gave the City Council an excellent overview of Chapter 2,
Residential Districts. This section includes the backyard cottage, accessory
apartment, cottage court, and infill compatibility standards.
Starting at minute 39 is a very interesting discussion about what
constitutes a dwelling unit. I'm reaching the conclusion that accessory
units should be included in the calculation of density. What's the old
saying.
"If it looks like a duck, quacks like a duck and walks like a duck - then it
is probably a duck."
Philip W Poe
919.410.6772 <http://www.google.com/googlevoice/about.html> one number
dialing
<mailto:pwpoe@att.net> pwpoe(a)att.net
From: rcac-bounces(a)eastraleigh.org [mailto:rcac-bounces@eastraleigh.org] On
Behalf Of Southralcap(a)aol.com
Sent: Tuesday, October 16, 2012 12:14 PM
To: acpardo(a)gmail.com; linda(a)lindawatson.com
Cc: tcrowder(a)architekturpa.com; rcac(a)eastraleigh.org
Subject: Re: [RCAC] New images to help you imagine the impact of backyard
cottages
Everyone,
It is one thing to have an accessory dwelling for relatives, but the UDO
would not distinguish between "family occupied" and "stranger/renter"
occupied.
A not-so-good owner of a rental house in my neighborhood would add an
accessory dwelling in a heartbeat and then rent it to anyone. He already
has tried to buy a strip of the adjacent neighbor's property so he can turn
the house into a duplex. And one of his renters has been caught on drug
charges! Even now there is a steady flow of cars coming to that house for
"short" visits. Police have been notified. The neighbor said no to selling
a strip of her land because she wants to keep the character of our
neighborhood as it is.
If any yard in Raleigh is large enough for an "accessory dwelling" and the
owners need room for an older relative or other family member, let them go
to the Board of Adjustment and get a variance to add on their house. It is
possible to add on to a house and give everyone involved privacy. Also, if
one's elderly relative needs to be closer to family members, that elderly
relative will progress to needing more attention and care and need closer
attention for health and safety reasons. I personally know about those
issues. For people who want an accessory dwelling for economic or security
reasons, that might be fine now, but when that person moves or dies, will
the next owner of that property disregard the character of that neighborhood
and just think in terms of another unit I can rent?
Maybe it is time for some of our developers to use the design model of
Lennox Chase Apartments, 2534 Lake Wheeler Road, Raleigh, when putting
residential infill in Raleigh neighborhoods. That way, we get the one home
look with apartments that meet renter needs - especially affordability.
If accessory dwellings are included in the UDO, Raleigh will change and not
for the betterment of those of us who are Raleigh homeowners. Raleigh seems
to be going overboard on increasing density at the expense of changing what
makes Raleigh the place so many people want to live. That is not good for
any of us!
Mary Belle Pate
In a message dated 10/16/2012 7:52:31 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time,
<mailto:acpardo@gmail.com> acpardo(a)gmail.com writes:
Linda, all:
I imagine "backyard cottages" will also be subject to the same inspections
and code standards as other dwellings built in the city. They won't allow
people to build shanties--at least not in the University Park area.
To add to the conversation, some examples:
I just bought a house near Raleigh Blvd. and Oakwood. The woman across the
street from me is a grandmother whose household includes her husband, her
sister, her sister's kids and the occasional grand kid.
Behind this woman's house is an accessory dwelling. I won't call it a
cottage because it isn't that quaint. Frankly it looks more like a
converted shed. The woman's niece lives there with her two young children.
A couple of assertions:
- Although we live directly across from them, this arrangement has not
disturbed us at all.
- This arrangement allows the grandmother to provide housing and economic
aid for her relatives, something she wants to do, and that they definitely
appreciate.
- This arrangement increases the density of my neighborhood (including the
number of children), which I consider a good thing.
I've seen this work well for several friends of mine too, mostly low-income
people of color. For the older woman I know, it provides a sense of privacy
and security to live in an accessory dwelling. For the younger couple I
know, it gave them an affordable alternative to the standard apartment
setting, and I can tell you there's a lot of hunger for that right now. In
University Park, an older man I know is seeking this exact kind of
arrangement because he wants to live surrounded by the green of a private
yard and not by the parking lot of the nearby crummy apartment complexes he
could otherwise afford. Every other house on several streets in Cameron
Park has an accessory dwelling. Has anyone asked how it has worked out for
them?
While I think "backyard cottages" definitely warrant scrutiny and
limitations, overall they stand to be a boon for low-income people, older
folks, young couples wanting a sense of privacy--not to mention the
homeowners who maintain them. The specter of shanties doesn't align with
the reality of what I've seen.
Ana
Sent from my iPhone
On Oct 15, 2012, at 1:01 PM, Linda Watson < <mailto:linda@lindawatson.com>
linda(a)lindawatson.com> wrote:
I've posted two sets of photos on the Glenwood CAC Facebook page to help
illustrate what may happen if the UDO definitions for the backyard cottages
is adopted.
The first shows a
<https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.493427184009082.119783.1545677512
28362&type=1> very narrow, long house on Method. I've heard planners scoff
at the idea that anyone would build or live in a 10-foot wide house such as
my example Backyard Party Palace. I'd long thought this was a tiny house on
stilts, but it actually two stories, with two levels for outdoor
entertainment. It's larger than a backyard cottage could be, but still image
80% of this building along rear fence lines throughout your CAC.
The second shows a
<https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.493463740672093.119789.1545677512
28362&type=1> chicken coop made from scrap material just across the fence
from an avid gardener in my CAC. This used to be a heavily wooded area. The
new owners may have made the front of the coop attractive, but the view from
neighboring garden sitting area shows unpainted scrap wood.
One picture shows this coop from the lowest point in the neighboring garden.
Remember that the height of backyard cottages will be measured from their
fronts, not from the lot-line side. Imagine the Method house made of scrap
material and positioned along this fence.
Please note that I'm glad people can have chickens in Raleigh, but wanted to
illustrate that not all backyard construction will be charming cottages,
even when the owners live on the property.
... Linda Watson
Chair, Glenwood CAC
_______________________________________________
RCAC mailing list
<mailto:RCAC@eastraleigh.org> RCAC(a)eastraleigh.org
<http://www.eastraleigh.org/mailman/listinfo/rcac>
http://www.eastraleigh.org/mailman/listinfo/rcac
=
_______________________________________________
RCAC mailing list
<mailto:RCAC@eastraleigh.org> RCAC(a)eastraleigh.org
<http://www.eastraleigh.org/mailman/listinfo/rcac>
http://www.eastraleigh.org/mailman/listinfo/rcac