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Commission clarifies accessory-building and ADU definitions in zoning update
Summary
Commission staff clarified that accessory buildings (such as game rooms, art studios and pool houses) are distinguished from accessory dwelling units and the draft code specifies that some accessory structures are not ADUs; the commission approved the language and will forward it to City Council.
Staff member (S4) walked commissioners through an amended definition intended to distinguish accessory buildings from accessory dwelling units (ADUs), stressing the distinction for habitable accessory spaces that are not intended as separate dwelling units.
As staff explained, these accessory buildings include "game party room, art studio, pool house, building areas that does not have a permanent interconnection with the principal dwelling, the use of which is solely for bridal, non commercial recreational use by the occupants of the home and or guests, does not contain space for sleeping, cooking, or eating, and is not intended for use as an ADU." Staff noted the change clarifies that properties may have two accessory buildings and that one of those buildings could be an ADU if it meets the ADU definition and interconnection requirements.
Commissioners asked for wording consistency and grammatical fixes; staff confirmed those edits were grammatical and did not alter the numeric setback distances being proposed elsewhere in the ordinance. The commission voted 5–0 to approve the overall draft and forward it to the City Council.
