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Planning commissioners press developer on ADA access for three-unit townhome project
Summary
Commissioners pressed staff and the applicant about whether a three-unit townhome project must provide ADA-accessible routes to units in addition to accessible parking; the applicant said the crawl-space units cannot be made ADA-accessible and staff will verify code thresholds before the voting meeting.
The Gallatin City Municipal Planning Commission spent an extended portion of its meeting debating accessibility requirements for a three-unit townhome project on the agenda as the MJK Watson Town Homes final master development plan.
Charlie Perry, the staff planner, described planning and storm-water comments and asked that the applicant provide an accessible route from the parking area to each unit because of slope and grade changes. The applicant, represented by Greenley Design (stated on the record), said the three attached units are crawl-space homes and that "these units just won't be ADA accessible," noting the finished floors are multiple feet above existing grade and steps are required to reach front doors.
Commissioners and engineering staff discussed code thresholds that trigger unit-level accessibility versus accessible parking requirements. Staff and engineering explained that multifamily designations can trigger accessible parking obligations and that the zoning ordinance requires accessible parking for multifamily uses, while unit-level access requirements may depend on building code and whether units are rental or for sale. The applicant said their intent may be to sell the units and that an ADA parking stall is shown in the plan; they requested clarification and promised to confirm unit tenure and whether the development triggers additional requirements before the voting meeting.
Commissioner discussion focused on whether three attached units constitute multifamily for the purposes of accessibility thresholds, how parking and ramps should be provided without increasing impervious cover, and whether providing an accessible route from the ADA parking space to unit entrances is feasible given crawl-space construction. Staff agreed to check the zoning ordinance and building-code thresholds and to return with a clear requirement at the next meeting.
Next steps: staff will confirm whether multifamily thresholds apply to require unit-level accessible routes or only accessible parking and will advise the commission at the voting session; the applicant will update plans based on the code clarification and continue coordination with engineering on storm-water and grade issues.
