Planning commission narrows language on EADU utilities, application requirements; keeps other items pending

Members of the Farr West Planning Commission spent the bulk of a work‑session item reviewing an external accessory dwelling unit (EADU) draft ordinance and reached several specific decisions while leaving other points unresolved for staff follow‑up.

Key decisions: the commission agreed on a short, staff‑drafted sentence to address utility metering: “Metering of utilities will be determined at the discretion of the utility companies.” Vice Chair Lytle read that phrasing into the record during the discussion and commissioners endorsed it. The panel also agreed to require that EADU applications include a completed application form, the floor plan and exterior elevations, and a plan for off‑street parking.

Items left pending: commissioners asked staff to confirm addressing and postal/fire‑response practices with the city engineer and utility providers before finalizing rules on whether an EADU will share an address with the primary residence (A/B designation) or receive a separate numeric address. The commission noted the U.S. Postal Service and the fire department had indicated informal willingness to use A/B designations but asked the city engineer to confirm operational requirements and clarify whether addresses should be separate for emergency response and mail delivery.

Internal vs. external units: commissioners debated whether a property could host both an internal accessory dwelling unit (for example, a basement apartment) and an external ADU. Discussion ranged from neighborhood character and parking impacts to anticipated state rules; the commission ultimately agreed to delete the contested clause from the draft and to leave the matter unruled in the local ordinance for now. Commissioners said the state could preempt local restrictions later, and they preferred not to lock in a local prohibition at this time.

Staff and legal review: the commission acknowledged that city attorney Liam had proposed several edits (including replacing “bond” or “escrow” language with a broader “improvement completion assurance” in a PD overlay) and that timely coordination between the planning commission, city attorney and council will be needed before formal adoption. Several items — notably drainage, building‑code items and exact language about utility rates — were characterized as outside local land‑use control and were referred to the appropriate agencies or clarified in the ordinance as matters for utilities or building code.

Next steps: staff will incorporate the agreed language and bring the EADU ordinance back for public hearing and a vote at a future meeting. The commission also instructed staff to consult the city engineer on addressing and emergency‑service implications and to coordinate edits with the city attorney so the ordinance and code updates are consistent across related sections.