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Commission proposes moving pool houses, studios and "game rooms" back into accessory-building rules; residents ask to exclude open awnings from square-foot cap
Summary
Staff recommended reclassing pool houses, art studios and game rooms as accessory buildings with a 1,500 sq ft cap, and public commenters urged that open awnings be excluded from square footage totals to avoid blocking routine shading improvements.
Staff said the council previously exempted pool houses, art studios and game rooms from ADU requirements; the draft now proposes treating them as accessory buildings subject to size limits (maximum 1,500 sq ft) but without the SUP requirement. "Game party room, art studio, pool house may only be used and are occupied… you're allowed 1,500 square feet," staff said while explaining the change.
During public comment Kenneth Cranfield, a long-time resident, asked the commission to exclude open awnings from the square-foot calculation so that shading structures would not push an accessory building over size limits: "I wanna cover it up with open awning, not enclosed… I would like to change the ordinance while y'all are working on it to where awnings, open awnings would be excluded from the square footage total." (Kenneth Cranfield)
Another commenter, Janine McLaughlin, expressed concern that accessory buildings could become de facto second residences: "There should be a size limit… do not allow these structures to become 2nd residences because this will create a stress on our infrastructure… and it's just not necessary." (Janine McLaughlin)
Commissioners asked staff to draft language moving the listed uses into an accessory-building subsection (14.040.302 F), keep the 1,500-sq-ft maximum, and consider an SUP pathway for larger or discretionary cases. Staff will return a redraft for review.
