Belvedere raises ADU height limit on steep lots for faster approvals

Belvedere will soon allow property owners to build 25-foot accessory dwelling units on steep lots with rubber-stamp approval.

The City Council tentatively approved revisions to its accessory-unit ordinance — which include other increased height limits, modified front-yard setback requirements, expanded amnesty for unpermitted units and allowing up to eight detached units on multifamily properties — in a 4-0 vote Aug. 11, with Councilmember Peter Mark absent.

A second reading for formal adoption is tentatively scheduled for Sept. 8, after which the new rules would take effect 30 days later.

The revisions are primarily housekeeping, updating Belvedere’s municipal code to reflect statewide accessory-unit laws that took effect in January. The most significant local decision extends a new 25-foot height limit to detached units on lots with slopes exceeding 30%, going beyond state requirements that apply only to attached units.

Read the complete story in our e-edition, or SUBSCRIBE NOW for home delivery and access to the digital replica.

Comment on this article on Nextdoor.