Committee advances ordinance to permit accessory dwelling units across St. Louis residential zones

The Housing Urban Development and Zoning Committee voted 7-0 to give board bill 60 a due-pass recommendation, advancing an ordinance that would define, permit and regulate accessory dwelling units across residential districts in St. Louis City.

Miriam Keller, city planning executive for general planning and design, told the committee that an accessory dwelling unit “is a smaller independent residential dwelling on the same lot as a single-family home or duplex,” and said the measure is intended to reduce time and cost barriers that force some ADU proposals to seek variances at the Board of Adjustment.

The bill, sponsored by Alderman Clark Hubbard, would add distinct definitions for attached and detached ADUs and permit one ADU per parcel in any residential district that allows single-family or duplex homes. Major provisions in the committee draft include: a 25-foot height limit; allowed ADU size of 750 square feet minimum up to 1,200 square feet for very large homes (or limited to 50% of the primary dwelling where the 50% rule applies); no blanket new parking requirement for ADUs but a requirement to replace any required parking displaced by an ADU; a 10-foot separation requirement for detached ADUs consistent with building-code fire…