ChicoSol asked City Community Development Director Brendan Vieg to explain the process that is required for the placement of tiny homes on church parking lots. The following is Vieg’s Dec. 11 response to our story and request.
Council did not “approve” NSST’s tiny home project for church parking lots as stated in your article. Instead, Council voted to support the idea in general and directed that NSST bring forward an application and that staff do everything they can, within reason, to support a successful public process and outcome.
Staff have not been made aware that NSST and City Light Church are no longer working together. If that is true, then there is currently no project status. If NSST and a new church engage City staff regarding a new proposal, we will work with them consistent with Council’s direction.
Below is the process that staff will pursue if a new project is proposed.
NSST needs to apply for an Administrative Use Permit (AUP), which is a discretionary application that goes through a public hearing process before the City’s Zoning Administrator. The AUP includes coordination with other City departments, notification of neighbors, identification of potential conditions to address use impacts, and a public hearing/decision. The Zoning Administrator’s decision can be appealed to the City Council.
However, before NSST applies for the AUP, NSST must conduct a pre-application neighborhood meeting. The City will provide NSST with a list of property owners and occupants within 500 feet of the proposed project location and NSST is responsible for mailing a notice with information about the neighborhood meeting. The notice must be mailed at least 10 days before the scheduled neighborhood meeting. The meeting provides an opportunity for residents to learn from NSST (and the church) about the proposed project, ask questions, and express any concerns. It also helps NSST and the City understand the concerns of the community and how these concerns might be addressed.
And, finally, the project layout and structures must meet the minimal Building and Fire Code standards allowed for ‘sleeping cabins’ under State law (i.e., the California Building Code).
Brendan Vieg is Chico’s Community Development Director.
NorthStateShelterTeam.org (NSST), has three shelter cabins built by licensed local general contractors, and one built by Chico State Construction Dept. students under the supervision of a local general contractor, that sit empty in the midst of our deadly shelter crisis. Twelve cities in California have similar programs to the one NSST has proposed to the city (Marysville among them). If the city rents, owns or leases the property or helps maintain the program, that can utilize State Statute 8698 that streamlines the requirements, and we could have four older vetted women in shelter cabins in days. NSST has shown the city a list of nine possible locations. If the city and NSST could work together we could start a program that could be repeated ten times and get 40 older women off of Chico streets.
It seems that every week a new rule surfaces that has to be taken care or another form to fill out to get approved. Meetings have taken place and it feels like ( to me) that every week there is an “ oh yeah, you need to do this now.”
I was at all the meetings between NSST and city staff. They were helpful and clear in what we needed to do. They do not make the regulations, they enforce those on the books. They wanted our project to succeed. They offered helpful and coat saving solutions. It seemed do-able. Unfortunately, for reasons that are not clear, the church backed out. To imply that city staff were not ‘on our side’ is wrong