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Planning commission debates ADU 'breezeway' rule and when an ADU becomes part of the house
Summary
The Lucas Planning and Zoning Commission discussed draft language that would allow accessory dwelling units to be attached by a breezeway (minimum 20 feet wide, maximum 24 feet long) while seeking guardrails to prevent such attachments from functioning as separate rental units.
The Planning and Zoning Commission spent much of its Oct. 10 meeting focused on how the city will define an accessory dwelling unit (ADU) that is attached to a primary home by a breezeway. Development Services Director Joe Hilborn told the panel the council wants to permit ADUs attached by a breezeway but asked the commission to set dimensional limits to avoid creating structures that "look attached and silly."
Commissioners argued over whether to keep distinct legal terms for "attached" and "detached" ADUs or to simplify the code so an ADU is an ADU if it is interconnected. Chair said if an ADU "is interconnected means you can pass from one unit into the other without a locked door." Hilborn proposed a drafting compromise: "An ADU is considered part of the main structure, provided it’s interconnected or attached by a breezeway minimum of 20 feet wide and not greater than 24 feet long." (Joe Hilborn)
Supporters of a strict breezeway definition said dimensional limits reduce the chance that homeowners will build a narrow connector solely to evade ADU rules. Commissioners warned, however, that very large breezeways or designs that function as a separate house risk turning an ADU into a rental without the appropriate approvals. The commission asked staff to redraft the paragraph removing the second sentence that creates ambiguity and to add a clear, short sentence addressing breezeway size and intent.
Next steps: staff will circulate the rewritten language to commissioners, who will review it before the item returns as a public hearing at the next Planning & Zoning meeting and then to City Council.
