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Commission discusses manufactured homes, ADUs and fourplexes; septic rules a key constraint
Summary
Mendon planners examined options to expand housing choicesmanufactured homes, ADUs, tiny homes and fourplexesand identified Bear River septic/drain-field requirements as a major constraint to multi-unit development.
Members of the Mendon Planning and Zoning Commission discussed a range of housing options to increase supply and affordability, focusing on manufactured homes, accessory dwelling units (ADUs), tiny homes, RV usage rules and the possibility of allowing more fourplexes.
Staff said the existing code distinguishes between manufactured homes, motor homes and RVs and requires residential manufactured homes to be installed on foundations; short-term temporary use (for family reunions or while a house is under construction) was noted as an allowable exception in place. The commission discussed tightening and clarifying language on whether manufactured homes may be used as primary residences, long-term rentals and whether short-term occupancy in RVs is permitted during active construction.
Commissioners also discussed detached ADUs and tiny-home options as a strategy to increase smaller, lower-cost units without concentrating multi-unit developments. Staff said ADUs are already allowed but the code does not clearly allow detached ADUs; commissioners suggested clarifying detached ADU policy and adding time-limited exemptions for temporary RV occupancy tied to active building permits.
A central constraint the commission repeatedly raised was the regional sewer and septic authority (referred to in the meeting as Bear River). Bear River policy, staff said, limits the potential for fourplex construction because shared drain fields are restricted; the district requires plan-specific septic sizing based on bedroom count and often mandates larger lot sizes for multi-unit buildings. Staff and commissioners discussed exploring minimum-lot and unit-size standards (for example, two-bedroom maximums for certain multi-units) so the city could create by-right standards that Bear River could evaluate more efficiently.
The commission also discussed financing and foundation standards for manufactured housing: staff noted that to qualify as a residential permanent dwelling, a manufactured home typically must be on a foundation and meet minimum size and construction standards; those specifics will be clarified in the draft code language.
No formal policy was adopted. Commissioners asked staff to: (1) tighten the manufactured-home and RV/short-term occupancy language to clarify allowed uses and temporary exemptions during construction, (2) draft detached ADU language and tiny-home options that meet building-code requirements, and (3) research Bear River septic constraints and propose a workable minimum-lot/unit-size approach for multi-family options such as fourplexes.
The commission said it will return with model code language and examples from other jurisdictions to present to the city council and to Bear River for technical feedback.
