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Encanto residents press council as footnote 7 and bonus‑ADU rules draw scrutiny
Summary
Public commenters and neighborhood advocates urged the council to repeal 'footnote 7' and to reassess the bonus‑ADU program’s effects in low‑resource neighborhoods; the consent agenda (including item 52 related to footnote 7) proceeded with public comment and council discussion.
During public comment on the consent agenda, robust testimony described local concerns about a municipal planning footnote and the city’s bonus‑ADU approach. Several residents urged the repeal of footnote 7 — a staff‑inserted zoning footnote referenced repeatedly by commenters — and asked the council to stop projects that relied on it until further review.
Doreen Diaz and other Encanto residents said the zoning text allows density increases without adequate review of infrastructure and neighborhood resource impacts. "We really need to look at the fact that these zones are minimum zones... just because they have a minimum of 3,000 doesn't mean they can't be 20,000," Diaz said, urging staff and council to consider the cumulative effects of adding unsited units.
Speakers from neighborhood groups and housing‑policy organizations presented analyses of the bonus ADU program’s geographic distribution and potential effects on infrastructure and wildfire evacuation routes. Supporters of specific items also spoke: environmental and neighborhood advocates urged acceptance of a $3,890,000 TCC grant to build Boston Avenue Linear Park (item 101).
Council members acknowledged public concern and thanked speakers; the consent agenda items moved forward per the clerk’s report with recorded votes (see actions). Several council members later referenced the need to continue reviewing ADU rules and to ensure transparency for projects relying on staff code changes.
No final policy change to the bonus‑ADU program was approved at this meeting; the public record shows sustained advocacy and an indication that councilmembers and staff will continue reviewing zoning and code edits in subsequent hearings.
