New subject: New images to help you imagine the impact of backyard cottages

16 Oct 2012

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,
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 &lt;_linda(a)lindawatson.com_
(mailto:linda@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 _very  narrow, long house_
(https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.493427184009082.119783.1545677512…)
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 _chicken  coop made from scrap material_
(https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.493463740672093.119789.1545677512…)
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
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Re: [RCAC] New images to help you imagine the impact of backyard cottages