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Planners report surge in ADU permits; council asks staff to close loopholes and study impacts
Summary
Planning staff reported 206 ADU permits since 2022 (89% detached, average valuation ~$98,000); councilmembers raised concerns about front-yard placement, near-duplicate ‘primary’ dwellings, impervious-surface growth and short-term-rental use and asked RPA/LDO to propose clarifying ordinance language.
Staff from the regional planning agency presented a citywide update on accessory dwelling units (ADUs), including permit counts, geographic concentration and design trends, and council members responded by asking staff to draft code clarifications to address perceived loopholes.
Brian Schultz (speaker 2) told council there have been 206 ADU permits issued between August 2022 and May 2026. He reported ADU construction citywide with concentrations in council districts 7, 8 and 9; District 8 led with 58 permits. Schultz said 89% of permitted ADUs have been detached structures, the average valuation entered on permits is roughly $98,000, and the average ADU size is about 625 square feet. He also noted increases in permit activity—8 permits in 2022 (partial year), 43 in 2023, 62 in 2024 and strong uptake in 2025–2026.
Council members pressed staff on several concerns. Councilwoman Hill and Councilman Clark cited examples of ADUs placed effectively in front-yard positions or built at the maximum 800 square feet next to primary dwellings, creating the appearance of duplexes; both said that design undermines the ordinance’s accessory intent. Council members raised questions about front-yard placement, the potential for new impervious surface area from additional roofs and driveways, alley access, and whether ADUs are being used primarily as long-term rentals or as short-term rentals in violation of owner-occupancy rules.
Staff said the ordinance requires ADUs to be accessory to a primary dwelling on the same lot, prohibits ADUs in the front yard, and disallows subdivision of the lot; ADU units must remain on the same parcel and utilities are typically shared. They acknowledged edge cases—primary dwellings built at roughly the same size as an ADU (e.g., 801 sq ft primary with 800 sq ft accessory) and permitted configurations that look similar to two houses side by side—and recommended RPA/LDO return with suggested code clarifications. Council directed staff to research and propose changes addressing setbacks, maximum relative size, design intent, impervious-surface consequences, alley usage and short-term-rental restrictions.
Next steps: staff will prepare a follow-up with recommended ordinance changes and additional data (including how many ADUs use alley access and impervious-surface calculations) and return to planning and zoning for further review.
