Mountain View Municipal Code Div. 9 Efficiency Studios

The following provisions establish locational, construction, and operational standards for the development of efficiency studios.

(Ord. No. 18.13, § 1, 12/10/13.)

Efficiency studios require the approval of a conditional use permit in the CRA zoning district and a planned community permit in precise plans that specifically list efficiency studios as a permitted or provisional use, and shall comply with the following standards.

a. Parking requirements:

1. General requirements. Efficiency studios shall provide off-street parking in compliance with Section 36.32.50 (Required Parking Spaces), and Section 36.32.80 (Development Standards for Off-Street Parking).

2. Reduction of parking requirements. A reduction of up to .50 space per dwelling unit may be granted by the zoning administrator, in compliance with Section 36.48 (Conditional Use Permits) for efficiency studios that are located in close proximity to a public transit stop, serve a substantial number of low- and very low-income persons or seniors and have a management plan which ensures continuing compliance with city codes, parking space availability and the low- and very low-income tenancy requirements of this section and Section 36.14 (Density Bonuses).

b. Overall project design and layout:

1. Appearance. The design of an efficiency studios project should coordinate with and complement the existing architectural style and standards of the surrounding land uses. If a design theme has been established in the proposed area, the theme should be reflected in the design and scale of the efficiency studios project;

2. Laundry facilities. Common laundry facilities shall be provided with one (1) washer and one (1) dryer for every twenty (20) units or fractional number thereof;

3. Common space. At least four (4) square feet of common interior space, excluding entryways, circulation space, common bathrooms, common kitchens, hallways, janitorial storage and laundry rooms, shall be provided for each unit with a minimum of two hundred (200) square feet of interior common space for each efficiency studios living facility;

4. Access. Ingress and egress shall be limited to a single entry point for tenants that is staffed twenty-four (24) hours per day;

5. Fire protection. Efficiency studios living facilities of any size shall be required to have fully automatic fire sprinkler systems with a central monitoring system, alarm and fire annunciator in compliance with fire department standards. A manual fire alarm system shall also be installed and maintained;

6. Defensible space design. Consideration should be given to utilizing defensible space concepts (e.g., visibility, lighting, landscaping, fencing location, etc.) in the location, design and construction of efficiency studios.

c. Design requirements for individual units. Efficiency studio dwelling units shall comply with the following requirements:

1. Minimum facilities. Each efficiency studio unit shall be provided with the following minimum facilities:

(a) Partial kitchen with a kitchen sink and garbage disposal, cooking appliance and refrigeration facilities, each having a clear working space of not less than thirty (30) inches in front, and having light and ventilation in compliance with the Uniform Building Code;

(b) Counter top measuring a minimum twelve (12) inches deep and twenty-four (24) inches wide;

(c) Prewired for telephone and cable television;

(d) A separate bathroom that includes at least a commode and shower or tub; and

(e) A closet and storage space, as approved by the zoning administrator, for each unit.

2. Floor area. An efficiency studio dwelling unit shall be a minimum of one hundred fifty (150) square feet in floor area. The average unit size shall be no greater than three hundred twenty-five (325) square feet and no individual unit, excluding the manager's unit, may exceed four hundred (400) square feet. The manager's unit shall not be included in calculating the average size of units;

3. Occupancy. Each efficiency studio dwelling unit shall be designed to accommodate a maximum of two (2) persons; and

4. Entries. Individual efficiency studio dwelling units shall not have separate external entryways.

d. Management plan. The efficiency studio living facility shall have a management plan which shall be approved annually by the zoning administrator. The management plan shall contain maintenance policies, management policies, operations, parking management plan, rental procedures, security arrangements and staffing plans.

e. Affordability. A minimum of twenty (20) percent of the dwelling units shall be occupied and affordable to very low-income tenants. The annual management plan shall demonstrate, to the zoning administrator's satisfaction, that this requirement has been fulfilled. Efficiency studio living facilities failing to meet this requirement shall be limited to the density limits of principally permitted uses.

f. On-site manager. A manager is required to live on-site in every efficiency studio development.

g. Annual inspection. Each efficiency studio living facility shall be inspected at least annually for compliance with the approved conditions of approval and all applicable city codes.

(Ord. No. 18.13, § 1, 12/10/13.)

The city council, having found that it is in the public interest to encourage efficiency studio living facilities, wishes, in appropriate cases, to provide special incentives for efficiency studio facilities in compliance with the following:

a. Fee waiver. Upon receipt of an application from the developer of an efficiency studio facility, the council shall have discretion to waive or reduce city fees applicable to the project, including the fee imposed in lieu of park land dedication in compliance with Chapter 41, the city's transient occupancy tax, as outlined in Chapter 33 and other development fees. In determining whether to waive or reduce city fees and/or the transient occupancy tax for the project, the council shall consider the following:

1. The extent to which the proposed efficiency studio facility will increase the supply of affordable housing in the community;

2. The need for a fee waiver/reduction in order to make it economically feasible for the developer to make the efficiency studio units available as affordable housing;

3. The extent to which the proposed efficiency studio facility will meet the city's land use objectives, as expressed in the general plan, applicable precise plans, and this chapter; and

4. The fiscal effect of the fee waiver/reduction on the city.

b. Procedure for fee waiver. The procedure for obtaining a waiver/reduction of fees for an efficiency studio facility shall be as follows:

1. The developer shall submit an application for a waiver/reduction of fees or the transient occupancy tax to the department at the time of filing an application for a conditional use permit for the efficiency studio living facility;

2. Upon approval of a conditional use permit for an efficiency studio living facility, the zoning administrator shall forward the application for a fee waiver/reduction, along with a brief description of the project to the city clerk. The city clerk shall set the matter for a public hearing before the council within forty-five (45) days after approval of the conditional use permit and shall send a notice of the public hearing in compliance with Section 36.56 (Applications, Hearings and Appeals); and

3. The city council shall conduct a public hearing on the application and shall approve or disapprove the request for a waiver/reduction as specified in subsection 36.28.55.a above. The decision of the city council on the fee waiver/reduction shall be final.

(Ord. No. 18.13, § 1, 12/10/13.)