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Des Moines council narrows middle‑housing approach; signals move to state parking standard for small units
Summary
City planning staff presented options May 8 for middle‑housing rules that would allow additional units in single‑family zones and the council directed staff to draft rules that emphasize flexibility — an illustrative cap of four units per lot (or 24 units per acre), size ranges for ADUs and cottages, and alignment of parking rules with the newly enacted state standard (SB 5184).
City planning staff returned to the Des Moines City Council on May 8 for continued discussion of middle‑housing elements required for the comprehensive plan, including how many units to allow per lot, size and scale for accessory dwelling units (ADUs) and cottage housing, and off‑street parking requirements.
The framework staff presented would allow a consistent, simple cap (for example, four units per lot or 24 units per acre, whichever yields more flexibility) while recognizing that setbacks, lot configuration and building codes will limit the practical number of units on many lots. Staff said ADUs are typically the smallest units and cottage housing sits between ADUs and standard single‑family homes in scale.
Staff and council discussed proposed size ranges: ADUs commonly proposed at a minimum of roughly 350 sq ft and (state law) a proposed maximum of 1,000–1,200 sq ft; cottage housing was discussed in a roughly 800–1,600 sq ft range. Planning staff noted height and setbacks remain controlled by the underlying zone: “they would still be subject to the same setback requirements,” staff said, and feasible unit counts depend on those site constraints.
Parking was the principal policy debate. House Bill 1110 provides baseline parking allowances for middle housing; Senate Bill 5184—recently reported signed by the governor during the council discussion—sets lower parking requirements for small units (staff summarized it as: no required parking for dwelling units under 1,200 sq ft and other limits). Councilmembers debated whether to adopt the stricter state standard now or delay local changes. Several council members voiced concern that eliminating parking requirements could shift parking into neighborhood streets; others argued that requiring parking can be a project‑killer for ADU builders.
After discussion the council gave staff direction to draft middle‑housing regulations that will: allow an illustrative maximum configuration of up to four units per lot (or 24 units per acre, whichever provides flexibility); treat ADU and cottage size ranges as described above; require that all units meet existing building‑code setbacks and standards; and align the City’s forthcoming parking rules for small units with the state standard in SB 5184. Council members also asked staff to bring back clear cross‑walks that show how ADU caps, middle‑housing unit counts, and the parking standard will interact in different lot sizes.
Ending: Staff said they will prepare ordinance language and maps for future hearings and will show how the proposed limits operate against physical lot sizes and setback constraints.
