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Planning commission begins ADU review, flags parking, size and utility questions
Summary
Commissioners discussed accessory dwelling units (ADUs), raising concerns about parking, impervious surface, minimum/maximum unit size, setbacks, and whether tiny homes should be allowed; members asked staff and a commissioner to compile model code language from nearby cities.
At its Jan. 13 meeting, the River Heights Planning & Zoning Commission began a substantive discussion on accessory dwelling units (ADUs), with members flagging parking and stormwater impacts, utility connections, unit size and setbacks as primary concerns. The commission did not adopt an ADU ordinance; it asked staff and commissioners to assemble examples from neighboring municipalities and return a baseline draft.
A member summarized local concerns: “The concern that I’ve heard … is parking or making a larger impervious surface,” reflecting worries that ADUs could increase paved area and strain the stormwater system. Commissioners reviewed models used by Providence, North Logan and Hyde Park, noting differences on maximum unit size (examples ranged from smaller “tiny home” allowances up to 1,000–1,250 square feet in other cities), rules on owner-occupancy, and whether water/sewer must tie into the primary meter or can have separate meters.
Members debated objective controls: maximum square-footage caps (some jurisdictions limit ADUs to a percentage of the primary lot or to a fixed maximum), minimum setbacks (several commissioners preferred not to go below a 5-foot side-yard setback because of fire-code concerns), parking requirements (off-street parking and whether an extra space per ADU is required), and design compatibility with the primary structure. The commission also discussed tiny homes: some commissioners said tiny homes could be acceptable if placed on a permanent foundation rather than used as mobile park-style trailers.
Council member Mark Monter (introduced in the meeting) had circulated comparative material, and commissioners asked staff to share those materials and to prepare a recommendation based on local lot sizes and zoning categories. The commission agreed to review examples and to produce a suggested code framework that addresses size limits, setbacks, utilities and parking before presenting a formal draft for recommendation to the City Council.
The next step is for commissioners and staff to benchmark neighboring ordinances and produce a working draft for further review at a subsequent meeting.
