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Washington Terrace council declines to pursue converting single-family homes into two-family rentals
Summary
After lengthy discussion about safety, building-code costs and neighborhood impacts, the City Council voted unanimously not to forward a proposal to the Planning Commission to allow conditional-use permits converting single-family homes into two-family dwellings.
WASHINGTON TERRACE — The Washington Terrace City Council voted unanimously March 18 to stop efforts to send a potential code change to the Planning Commission that would have examined allowing conditional-use permits to convert single-family homes into two-family dwellings.
The council’s decision follows a detailed presentation from City building staff about safety and construction requirements for two-family conversions and staff recommendations that any conversion program would carry significant costs and regulatory complexity. Mayor Allen and council members cited fire safety, egress window sizes, interconnection of smoke detectors, separate heating/electrical systems, parking and impacts on neighboring properties as primary concerns.
The proposal under consideration grew out of a staff audit of rental and business licenses and the city’s moderate-income housing review. Building official Tyler summarized the audit and code implications: “It is a crisis in our state,” he…
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