Planning staff propose by-right ADUs, smaller setbacks and faster reviews to support housing choice

At the workshop, Virginia Norris, senior long-range planner, presented proposed updates to accessory dwelling unit (ADU) regulations intended to expand small-scale housing options while keeping ADUs subordinate to the main dwelling.

Norris said the draft would allow ADUs by right in all residential zoning districts, include attached, detached and internal units, and use a subordinate-size rule (examples discussed were 1,000 square feet or 50 percent of the primary home). “This change would emphasize…support housing diversity and affordability without changing the core limits or neighborhood character,” Norris told the board.

The board questioned whether ADUs should be permitted in the front yard, how the rules would interact with subdivision covenants and HOAs, and the effect of septic limitations on lot capacity. Staff and a planning reviewer named Gail said front-yard ADUs have been requested when homes sit far back on large lots and that setbacks and design rules could be used to prevent adverse streetscape impacts.

The draft also included a streamlined 30-day administrative review window for ADU approvals; staff said that timeline is common in other counties but acknowledged the county’s current permitting turnaround is often faster and they will check staff capacity before finalizing the procedure. Next steps: staff will prepare graphics to illustrate front-yard scenarios, clarify septic and duplex distinctions, and return a draft ordinance for board comment before forwarding to the Board of Commissioners.