Description

The City of Oakland Planning and Zoning Division will approve applications submitted under the Additions and Alterations Discretionary Procedure only upon determination that the proposal conforms to the conditions set forth in the Special Residential Design Review Standards and Criteria. The Standards specify “That the building addition is oriented in a manner that provides solar access for interior rooms, where desirable, and maintains direct sunlight to adjacent properties wherever possible.” It also sets forth the period in which the impact of shadows is to be considered. The city has a mediation procedure in place for any disputes that may arise over solar access rights.

The Special Residential Design Review Standards and Criteria were originally written in January, 1992 and were revised in March, 2004.