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Resident group urges Sandy to simplify ADU rules to ensure homeowners can build them
Summary
A volunteer with Wasatch Advocates for Livable Communities told the planning commission the draft ordinance adds unnecessary costs and red tape (lot size minimum, design matching, owner‑occupancy checks) and urged the commission to adopt WAC's recommendations to make ADUs feasible for seniors and families.
During the public‑comment portion of the planning commission meeting, James Longstaff, a Sandy resident and volunteer with Wasatch Advocates for Livable Communities, urged commissioners to strengthen and simplify the draft detached ADU ordinance so it would be practical for homeowners to use.
Longstaff said the ordinance as drafted contains several optional requirements that are not required by state law — including minimum lot‑size thresholds above the state baseline, design‑matching requirements, and an owner‑occupancy verification process that could be more burdensome than other jurisdictions’ rules. “SB 284 requires every city to allow detached accessory dwelling units. What’s in front of you is a choice about whether Sandy’s ordinance actually lets homeowners build one, or whether it technically complies while quietly making it too expensive and too complicated for most people to bother,” Longstaff said.
He asked the commission to adopt WAC’s specific edits — including clearer conversion paths for existing lawful and unlawful structures, streamlined owner‑occupancy verification, and parking flexibility — to preserve neighborhood character while expanding practical housing options for seniors, caregivers and families. Commissioners acknowledged the letter and asked staff to consider the recommendations when preparing the revised draft for the Aug. 20 meeting.
