Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Housing Adus topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council adopts ADU ordinance amendment allowing larger attached units by percent of home
Summary
North St. Paul’s council adopted Ordinance 2026‑XX amending chapter 154 to set attached accessory dwelling units (ADUs) at a maximum of 40% of the principal dwelling’s floor area and a 1,000‑square‑foot limit for detached ADUs; the change clears the way for a neighboring applicant to seek approval for a larger ADU.
The City Council on June 16 adopted Ordinance 2026‑XX amending portions of chapter 154 of the North St. Paul City Code to revise the definition and size limits for accessory dwelling units (ADUs).
Ken Roberts, community development director, explained the amendments would replace a flat 900‑square‑foot cap for attached ADUs with a 40%‑of‑principal‑dwelling rule and set a 1,000‑square‑foot limit for detached ADUs. The ordinance also clarifies that ADUs must meet state building code requirements, be separated from the principal dwelling (though an interior connecting door may be allowed), require connection to municipal sanitary sewer and water (shared service lines unless approved by the public works director), and prohibits separate sale or tax‑parcel division of ADUs.
Roberts said the change was prompted by a recent conditional use permit for an ADU at 2121 Holloway that exceeded the former cap; the Planning Commission reviewed the amendments on June 4 and recommended approval. "We changed that to 40% so the larger homes can support proportionally larger ADUs," Roberts said.
Council member Woods moved to adopt the ordinance; the motion was seconded and passed by spoken assent. The change will allow the adjacent applicant whose earlier conditional approval required a reduced floor plan to pursue the originally proposed larger ADU if the new ordinance applies to that property.
The council’s vote completes the local code amendment; implementation steps include updating permitting forms and advising applicants of the amended size calculation.
