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Planning staff circulate ADU ordinance draft; board signals support ahead of May 7 council vote
Summary
Planning staff circulated a draft accessory dwelling unit (ADU) policy and presented it to the Planning and Development Board, which discussed simplifying rules to encourage small secondary units and signaled support to forward a recommendation to Common Council.
Planning staff told the board April 22 that they circulated a proposed accessory dwelling unit (ADU) policy and plan to ask Common Council to vote on it May 7.
Director of Planning and Development Lisa Nicholas said the draft would make accessory dwelling units easier to create in many residential zones and clarified definitions for attached and detached ADUs, size limits and setbacks. The draft would allow 1 ADU per parcel in specified residential zones, eliminate an off‑street parking requirement for ADUs, cap new detached ADU footprints at 800 square feet (two stories allowed) and allow existing accessory structures to be repurposed as ADUs without requiring new setbacks if their footprint is unchanged. Staff said the policy was informed by other cities and by local parcel sizes in Ithaca.
Board members welcomed the direction. Member Max Pfeffer and others suggested the next step include prototype designs to show feasible approaches for 800-square-foot footprints and two‑story options; staff said funding exists to help produce prototype construction drawings. Member Emily Petrina said relaxed ADU rules could help provide housing options in the middle of the housing market and help intergenerational living.
Board consensus was supportive of forwarding the ADU draft to Common Council; staff said they would provide the draft and background to the board and council ahead of the May 7 vote.
Quote from staff: “I did circulate the ADU policy. So I was wondering if you wanted to make any kind of recommendation to the Common Council. We're hoping for a vote on May 7,” Director Lisa Nicholas said.
Sources: Director’s report and discussion, Planning and Development Board, April 22, 2025.
