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Woodland planners review state ADU requirements and expected code changes under state bill
Summary
City staff briefed the Planning Commission on state accessory-dwelling-unit (ADU) requirements linked to a referenced house bill and outlined mandatory and optional municipal code changes, including allowing two ADUs per lot, limits on residency requirements, minimum maximum sizes, parking rules and exemptions for critical areas.
City planning staff gave the Woodland Planning Commission a detailed workshop on state rules for accessory dwelling units, describing which local regulations must change and which elements the city can tailor.
Trav Scottard, identified in the meeting as the community development director presenting the slide packet, summarized the bill's intent: expand housing choices, promote affordability and allow ADUs as an option across single-family lots and some other zones. "Accessory dwelling units tend to go for below market rates," he said, linking the state policy to local examples and testimony (he referenced a local example from a resident indicating one ADU could be below market-rate while another might be market-rate).
Staff outlined several required or constrained changes: municipalities must allow at least two ADUs on qualifying lots (detached, attached, or mixed); owner-occupancy mandates may not be required; jurisdictions cannot set a maximum ADU size below 1,000 square feet; and the city may not impose greater design, setback or residency standards on ADUs than on the primary single-family residence. The presentation also noted exceptions the city can use: restricting ADUs in wetlands, shorelines, floodplains or where sewer capacity is lacking, and performing neighborhood parking studies to justify localized parking rules.
Commissioners asked policy questions about balancing lot-coverage limits, differentiating attached vs. detached ADUs, parking minimums for odd-shaped lots and manufactured-home parks, and whether ADU allowances encourage subdivision or rental conversions. Staff said the city can adopt variance criteria and other local measures (lot-coverage limits, parking variance standards) to address atypical cases, but the city cannot place restrictions on ADUs that it does not also apply to single-family houses.
Commissioners asked staff to prepare a side-by-side code comparison and draft ordinance language for subsequent meetings so the commission and city council can determine which local options to use and where to set thresholds to limit unintended outcomes, such as excessive lot coverage or parking impacts. The commission did not take formal action; staff agreed to follow up with written options.
