Debate over ADUs centers on cost and parking in Warrenton

A sustained portion of the joint session focused on accessory dwelling units, with several commissioners warning that requiring or imposing ADUs on builders could raise housing prices and worsen parking and emergency access on narrow streets.

One committee member argued, "It raises the cost of the price of the home," and said mandating ADUs for new subdivisions would pass costs to buyers. Heather Austin responded that the draft does not propose mandatory ADU construction: "There is no requirement that we're proposing that you produce that," she said, and staff will verify the prior mandatory language appears removed from the code draft.

The consultants recommended removing the code requirement that added ADU parking be triggered by the absence of two on-lot spaces (a state requirement change) and offered targeted flexibility: modest increases in allowable lot coverage (examples cited: 40% to 45% depending on zone), larger maximum ADU size if an extra off-street parking space is provided (up to 800 square feet), and raising certain ADU height limits so configurations such as ADUs over garages remain feasible. Commissioners expressed particular concern about narrow streets in the Hammond district where on-street parking can block emergency access, and suggested clearer definitions of when on-street spaces could count and minimum driveway depth standards to ensure off-street parking fits modern vehicles.