Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Ithaca council committee hears ADU outreach, leans against owner-occupancy requirement
Summary
Planning staff presented results of ADU public outreach and draft technical rules; council gave staff direction in informal straw polls to draft an ADU ordinance without an owner-occupancy requirement, to allow short-term rentals only for owner-occupied ADUs, and to opt into state ADU tax incentives.
Planning Department staff briefed the Ithaca Common Council’s Committee of the Whole on February 12 on a months-long public outreach effort and draft technical standards for an accessory dwelling unit (ADU) ordinance.
The presentation summarized an open-house and an online survey of about 290 respondents, most of whom were homeowners, and outlined proposed local rules on where ADUs would be allowed, maximum size and height, setbacks, and how ADUs would be treated when they are part of existing structures versus new construction. Planning staff said survey respondents were generally supportive of allowing ADUs but split on whether properties with ADUs should be owner occupied. Staff recommended no parking requirements for ADUs, a 5-foot side setback for new detached ADUs (changed from a 4-foot draft), a 20-foot maximum height and two-story cap for new ADU construction, a 40%…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
