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Centerville planners favor opacity and setback rules to protect neighbor privacy in ADUs
Summary
Planners discussed restricting operable windows close to neighboring homes and favored a standard (modeled on Mill Creek) requiring fixed, translucent windows or skylights within 15 feet of an abutting residence; commissioners raised fire/egress concerns to staff for checks with the fire marshal.
A major theme of the ADU discussion was neighbor privacy and safety. Commissioners reviewed language used in Mill Creek that requires windows on facades located within 15 feet of an abutting single-family property to be fixed, nonoperable and translucent or replaced with skylights. Staff recommended replicating the approach because it provides clear, enforceable standards for building reviewers.
Commissioners raised potential conflicts with fire and building code: operable openings are often necessary for egress and ventilation. "That’s a really good point" one commissioner said, calling for fire-marshal input. Staff agreed to confirm whether required egress and the fire code would be satisfied under a fixed/translucent-window approach and to draft language that balances privacy and safety.
