Hooper City staff propose larger limits for accessory structures and ADUs; council approves drafting ordinance

Hooper City planning staff presented recommended changes to local rules on oversized accessory structures and accessory dwelling units (ADUs) at a Sept. 18 council work meeting, and the council approved a motion to have an ordinance drafted for consideration at a future meeting.

Planning staff summarized sizes the city has recently seen and said the planning commission recommended raising allowed accessory-structure sizes so more projects could be approved administratively rather than repeatedly needing conditional-use review. “The recommendation was to make the changes to be this size,” planning staff member Malcolm said, describing proposed new maximums.

The proposed adjustments would increase maximum accessory-structure sizes in multiple residential zones as presented by staff: R-2 up to 2,500 square feet, R-3/4 up to 3,000 square feet, and R-1 up to 5,000 square feet. Staff told the council the intent is to reduce the number of conditional-use applications and allow staff-level approval for structures that meet the revised limits and other code requirements.

Nut graf: The changes under consideration would alter how Hooper calculates accessory space and ADU living area, and could make larger shops or detached buildings easier to build…