Commission discusses ADU rules: commissioners favor detached units, owner-occupancy and conditions on short-term rentals

Commissioners spent more than an hour discussing rules for accessory dwelling units (ADUs), seeking a balance between homeowner flexibility and neighborhood compatibility as staff prepares an ordinance draft.

Will (staff researcher) reviewed options and community feedback. Commissioners and staff coalesced around several preliminary positions: limit ADU allowances to detached accessory structures sited behind or to the side of the primary residence (not front facing); permit ADUs in single-family districts A-1, A-R and R-1 but rely on lot-coverage rules to exclude lots that cannot meet coverage limits; discourage separate utility meters (staff recommended utilities remain tied to the primary house, with deduct meters allowed for billing); and require owner-occupancy of the primary or secondary unit with a recorded affidavit or recurring certification requirement.

Commissioners discussed size, occupancy and design limits. Staff said comparative research suggested typical ADU sizes range from 500 to 750 square feet; commissioners discussed alternatives including tying ADU size to a percentage of the primary home or to multifamily unit-size standards. On occupancy, the commission discussed several options and generally favored limiting ADU occupants to no more than two unrelated adults (or a simple per-bedroom cap similar to the city’s short-term rental rules). Commissioners also favored one ADU per lot and restricting ADUs to single ownership of the parcel (no separate sale of the ADU).

Safety and access were also discussed: the fire chief’s guidance favors accessible paths for fire apparatus and a practical limit (staff cited roughly 100 feet as a working guideline) and commissioners said driveway and off-street parking should be considered. On aesthetics, commissioners said ADU design should be compatible with the primary structure if visible from the street; they expressed particular opposition to unclad shipping containers and said screening or additional design review would be appropriate where modern box-style units would be visible.

On short-term rentals and business use, commissioners leaned against allowing commercial uses or short-term rental operations from ADUs; if the commission instead chose to allow rentals, staff suggested tying the permission to short-term rental rules and licensing. Will and Jack said they would draft ordinance language that reflects the commission’s guidance and return with precise code text and options on timelines for certification (annual vs. every three years) and size limits.

Ending: Staff will draft ordinance language incorporating these points for a future meeting; commissioners asked staff to prepare specific options on unit size, owner-occupancy certification and permitted districts before the next hearing.