Berkeley lawmakers push to increase city’s number of “accessory commercial units”

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State housing laws have made it easier for homeowners to construct accessory dwelling units — also known as ADUs — on single-family lots.

Some East Bay officials are promoting a similar idea known as “accessory commercial units” or ACUs.

Lawmakers in Berkeley have been pushing ACUs to bring more neighborhood corner stores to the city.

Some housing policy experts believe it’s a win-win in a vastly different work environment with so many people still working from home.

Muhammad Alameldin lives in Oakland, within biking distance to the Rockridge neighborhood. The area is known for the mom-and-pop shops and residential homes that line its main street, College Avenue.

“Everything’s walkable. I don’t have to look for parking, and everything’s accessible,” said Alameldin.

Alameldin is the founder of Housing Policy Innovations, which has helped local municipalities adopt alternative solutions, including the re-introduction of corner stores, and allowing neighborhood-scale commercial uses in residential zones.

“All the benefits that Rockridge has, that North Berkeley has, and other areas, we should expand that to more areas of the city,” said Alameldin.

Corner stores can be characterized as “accessory commercial units” in spaces established in front of or adjacent to residential homes.

“You see the concrete? That’s the commercial space for both units: that house, the salon and thrift shop over here. And that’s the home. The original home that was here,” explained Alameldin.

But 20th century housing and rezoning laws eventually made setting up corner stores illegal. Many were grandfathered into neighborhoods across the Bay Area and country and still serve as commercial spaces.

Alameldin wants to see them flourish and multiply once again. He believes people continuing to work from home will demand more “storefront neighborhoods.”

“This is how you can just add some light commercial spaces that could really vitalize a community,” said Alameldin.

Inside one corner store on College Ave. you’ll find the Wardrobe Project. The vintage and modern consignment store started as a pop-up, but settled into this small space where it has thrived.

“Because this block is able to have these small commercial spaces across the street from homes, it just feels like a community and everything is used,” said McKenzie Perry, a vendor at the Wardrobe Project.

It’s that walkable, vibrant neighborhood, with residential and small commercial spaces former Berkeley council member Rigel Robinson also envisions. He introduced legislation last year to make it legal once again.

“For a city to take active steps to re-legalize these uses in residential areas is not something that we can find a whole lot of precedent for,” said Robinson.

Robinson says it will be a years-long process, as rezoning and other necessary changes by planning commissions need to happen, before new ACUs can be permitted and built.

Aladmeldin says it’s a no-brainer to boost local businesses.

“This is how you have more small businesses in the community, right? They’re not going to rent out these 500 square foot 750 square foot spaces, but people in the neighborhood will,” said Alameldin.

He believes more ACUs, corner stores, and neighborhood storefronts will lead to less reliance on major retailers, and bring communities closer together.

In:

• Small Business

• Berkeley

• Politics

When Kenny Choi jumped into the backseat, he never thought he would be introducing his ride share driver to National Public Radio. The hour-long ride to the airport turned into a conversation that included politics, the economic divide, and the cultural differences between the East Coast and the West Coast.

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