GLB Architects

We create environments where you love to live and work

Architecture

Add Value to Your Property with Accessory Dwelling Units

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businessman's putting coin inside the house - real estate investment, flat style illustration
ADUs Add Value to Your Property

Over 9,000 residential units were destroyed the 2017 fires in Sonoma and Napa counties. New Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) are one way to address the market needs. We were already experiencing meager inventory in real estate before the fires. With the high demand and changes in the regulatory process, this could be the right time for you to consider adding an Accessory Dwelling Unit. It is going to take time (years) to rebuild following the October firestorms. ADUs can help to fill in the housing gap.

Even before the fires, property owners were taking advantage of the change in regulations. Empty-nesters looking to downsize their living space are building ADUs and renting out their existing homes when they can move into the ADU.

Vacation rentals are another way ADUs can add income to your property.

Northern California Housing Market in Crisis

Affordable Housing Crisis newspaper headline and related economic news, with coins

Change in the Regulations for ADUs is Good for Property Owners

Starting January 1, 2017, the state of California enacted new laws to allow more freedom to create second units.

The new law removes many of the roadblocks to developing second living units. The notable changes are:

  1. Second units (ADU)  are allowed in most single-family zone areas.
  2. The property owner does not have to live in either unit.
  3. Eliminates neighborhood approval. If the proposed second unit (ADU) conforms to planning regulations, the  ADU is approved (no lengthy wait for neighbors comments.)
  4. Eliminates requirements for separate utility connections — most notably sewer and water hookups.
  5. Allows ADUs to build within existing setbacks.
  6. Removes many restrictions on area requirements.  In some cases, ADUs can be up to 1,200 sq. ft. in area.
  7. In most cases, there are no additional parking requirements. In all cases, additional parking needs not be covered.
  8. Reduces or eliminates special development fees.

Some regulations that remain in place or are subject to modifications include:

  1. Height limits: for ADUs built in conformance with existing setbacks, and the maximum height limit is the same as the primary residence.
  2. ADUs can be built within existing setbacks with the following restrictions:
  1. The height of walls and roof lines are limited to the established for accessory structures.
  2. ADU cannot occupy more than 50% of the required rear yard.
  3. Open space requirements are modified or remain in place: (typically a 15’ x 15’ space.)
  4. ADUs can be built above a garage; either existing or new, but height limits can affect the location on the property.

The good news for residential property owners, approval to build an ADU is easier than ever before. There is a substantial reduction in the cost of approval. Also, the time to get approval is measurable in weeks instead of months.

The ADU still needs to comply with all current building code requirements, including Title  24 Energy Conservation requirements and CALGREEN requirements.

The process, although somewhat simplified, is still the process. Our recommendation to property owners is to engage the services of a qualified design consultant be used to design and prepare the required documentation.

Regulations Where You Live in California

Follow the link below to get an overview of the rules where you live. A licensed professional can assist you in navigating regulations in your jurisdiction, and help you avoid costly errors and delays.

AccessoryDwellings.org is a website where you can see the code and compliance requirements in your area.

Contact me if you have a project or a question about ADUs.

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Sonoma Hill House

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This spectacular Craftsman style house is the second house GLB architects designed for this Client. The house is built at the top of a steeply sloped and heavily wooded lot, high above Sonoma Valley. The property was created by joining two lots. The initial lot would have required a bridge across a seasonal creek and at steep drive with switch backs to get to the building site. When an adjacent lot became available, the Client purchased it to allow easy access to the building site. The fact that this lot was not a buildable parcel, (it did not qualify for a septic system), helped keep the cost of development  down. The cost of the lot was less than the cost of a bridge and a driveway from the other access point.

The site qualified for a three bedroom septic system and the Client wanted a house in the 3,200 sq. ft range. The Client also wanted to have a house designed in the craftsman style.

 The main floor living area is supplemented with a deck that runs the full length of the house. The main house consists of the great room: which consists of the kitchen, dining and living areas, as well as a home office, a second bedroom and bath. On the second floor is the master bed and bath. The house is connected to a three car garage with an open air walkway. This bridge is protected by an enclosed bridge between the master suite and the game room that is located over the garage. Only the guest bedroom is not linked either to the deck or a balcony. The south-east facing decks are positioned for spectacular views of the southern end of Sonoma Valley and the East Bay’s Mt. Diablo in the background

Vietnamese Nail Salons

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I recently finished consulting on my fourth Vietnamese owed nail salon. This is an interesting market niche. The first salon I designed lead directly, by referral, to the other projects. In the Asian communities, word of mouth and personal referral is king. The better the job you do, the more opportunities you will have in the future.

Designing the Salon

A salon is a model of larger and more complex projects. A 1,500 square foot salon has all of the elements of larger retail business.

My biggest challenging these projects has been language.

Most of my clients speak English as a second language. My experience with Vietnamese is ordering by number off of a menu. As in all consulting, it is very important to listen carefully and give your full attention to understand and to be understood. There is no short cut to effective communication.

The second biggest challenge is the governmental process.

Too often I have been called in to fix a permit issue because my client started to build without the proper permits. The process of securing permits is confusing and mysterious to people outside of the building industry. The rules and requirements are always changing and vary from city to city.

Three recommendations for business owners planning on renting commercial space:

First, contract with a commercial realty agent to represent you, to help with finding space, and to represent you in the lease negotiations.

Second, I recommended you have your lease reviewed by an attorney specializing in commercial real estate.

Third, I recommend that before the lease is signed is that you create and sign a Letter of Intent with your landlord. The Letter of Intent will define the general lease terms, will set the time or date for rent to begin and will allow you to develop plans and get building department approval. The typical date for rent to start is when your occupancy begins. The time between agreeing to rent a space and moving in can often exceed 3 months. The money saved in rent will more than pay the architectural fees, and that is always a good thing.

What Costs Business Owners More Time and Money Than Necessary

I find that my clients have found a space, signed a lease and are paying rent before contacting me. Now my client is required to pay rent on the space while the permits are secured and the space is built out. This process is costly and creates unneeded job related stress.

How to Save Money and Get Your Project Built

It is cost effective to secure the assistance of the appropriate professionals before starting a project. What you spend in fees you will save in unnecessary rents and possible fines. The professionals spend time staying current on the requirements and regulations that affect their field. It is difficult if not impossible for anyone not involved in real estate and construction on a daily basis to be effective in negotiating the complex maze of property development.

Santa Rosa Moves to Expedite Building Permits

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Santa Rosa expediting building permits

 

I want to comment on a recent article in Santa Rosa’s Press Democrat. The March 10th issue featured an article by Kevin McCallum on the subject of a new policy for over the counter permit reviews by the City of Santa Rosa. The article describes how the City can issue building permits with an over the counter review, allowing construction to begin immediately rather than wait for 4 to 6 weeks or longer for the traditional plan check process.

I am much encouraged by this and as an architect; I applaud any process that will allow building construction to start as early as possible.

Unfortunately in my opinion building departments and planning departments are viewed as cash cows. When reviews take a long time it prompts the agency to add to the fees because it is taking so long, there is no accountability. Agencies do not care if a project gets approved or built and are often obstructionist. As long as the agency gets to collect their fee they do not care about the outcome. The longer it takes to gain approval, the more a project costs. The interest on the construction loans and the loss of revenue because of the delays can be significant and can make the difference in the success or failure of a project.

Construction is one of the major economic indicators. In the recent economic downturn building construction has been especially hard hit. The economic recovery has been slowed by changes in government policy and lending practice changes. These changes have been brought about by individuals and a banking industry that essentially ponzied the real estate market into an unsustainable condition. While many got rich(er) (and none have been punished), the rest of us carry the financial burden this criminal and fraudulent behavior created.

Well, a little off track, but that is part of the beauty of a blog. It does not have to make sense. Back on track: If the politicians really want to get the economy going there needs to be stimulus for the construction industry. Make it easier, cheaper and faster to build and the economy will turn around faster than the current pace of recovery.

 

5 things to consider before you buy, build or remodel

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Meredith

Are you considering remodeling your home?

  • Have you lived in you existing house for years and it no longer supports you life style or your self image?
  • Do you want to correct floor plan problems and stay in your current home?
  • Are you starting a home based business?
  • Or do you want to build a second unit for your parents or for rental income?

What ever your reason may be, at some point many of us will consider what it would take to remodel, add to or renovate our home.

My name is Garry Baker. I am an architect in Sonoma, California. My company is GLB architects. I specialize in creating environments where you love to live and work. I will be presenting a series of articles that can help you navigate the many decisions you might face when considering a home improvement project or total make over. I can show you how to make intelligent, rational and sound choices concerning remodeling residential construction.

The first series of articles will address the 5 questions to answer before buy build or remodel. Some of these questions you will be able answer on your own, others may require professional guidance.

The top 5 questions are:

  1. What are your goals? (Or more to the point, why are you doing this?)
  2. What is the Zoning of your property? (In construction you have to play by the rules.)
  3. Financial considerations: (Why does everything cost so much?)
  4. Schedule: (We are not going to have a kitchen for how long?)
  5. Construction: (How hard is it to nail a few boards together?)

The second series will cover building codes and zoning ordinances. There are a myriad of overlaying and sometimes conflicting regulations that govern the built environment. This series will be an overview of the regulatory environment, where codes come from and why they are always changing.

The third series will focus on sustainable building practices. GreenBuilding is the mantra of the new century. This series will attempt to take the mystery out of the buzz words and guide you to meaningful and practical environmental decisions that can work in your living space.

The fourth series will look at who to hire. Building buildings is a complex and labor-intensive process. Here we will discuss how to decide what professional you need and how to decide who those people should be.

Future articles will discuss new home construction and how it differs from remodeling. I am planning a series on commercial construction.

If you have a question or topic you would like covered, we could have an Ask the Architect question and answer series. Send in your questions or post a comment below.

Valley of the Moon Teen Center

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Sketch of El Nido Teen Center

The center serves the Springs area of Sonoma Valley. It is the home to a non-profit teen center.

El Nido Front 11×8.5 Color

The majority of the people and businesses who worked on the Teen Center met through the Leadership Sonoma Valley Program which was championed by Art Fichtenberg. He worked with the Sonoma Valley Chamber of Commerce to start the program which is still running today.

I am a graduate of the class of 2001, following my wife, Judy Baker, a graduate of the 2000 Leadership class.

The Teen Center is a result of our education and commitment to the quality of life in Sonoma. You can read more about how the Teen Center came into existence here.

How to Design Great Pizza and the Kitchen to Cook it In

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I know how to make pizza and kitchens that please crowds.

Watch this short video of me at the 2009 Sonoma County Home. The Show is coming around again in mid-March.

I am demonstrating how to make pizza using a Viking Range at the Asien’s Appliances Booth.

I am an architect who knows his way around a kitchen. I know what works and what doesn’t based on how you plan to use your space.

I know how to make great pastry pies too.

Garry Baker's Meyer Lemon Meringue Pie

Want to turn your hum-drum kitchen into the perfect place to cook and entertain?

Call me at 707.938.8844 for a free half-hour consultation about your project ideas.