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> The project, initially approved by the city in 2010 as a hotel, then re-approved in 2015 as studio apartments, will be leased to UC Berkeley for graduate student housing

8 years of permitting!

Most infuriation article.

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4 days of box stacking. 8 years of permitting. Multi-unit projects like this which require discretionary permits and approvals are too slow of a response for the housing crisis. California state senators enacted laws in 2017 (SB 1069 and AB 2299) which allow Accessory Dwelling Units to be built in backyards of single family homes. They're full living units with kitchens and bathrooms, and the state law requires that cities approve them strictly based on zoning within 120 days of an application being submitted.

Caveat legislative action which overrules city zoning/permitting when placed near mass transit. Time will tell.

That bill was DOA.

Problem: Almost every SFH has an easement in the rear of the lot. And cities like Mountain View are using that as the basis for denying ADU applications.

If there’s telephone wires (not even a pole) then there’s an easement.

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