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Orem council weighs strict ADU setbacks, size and height limits amid equity concerns
Summary
City staff presented prototype diagrams and recommended setbacks and height limits for detached accessory dwelling units (ADUs); council members pushed back on a proposed 30-foot buildable-area buffer and signaled preference for smaller footprints and 15–20 foot separations as staff returns with revised graphics.
Orem city planners presented draft rules for detached accessory dwelling units and walked the City Council through prototype diagrams showing rear setbacks, interior separations and proposed height limits.
Jared Hall, introduced to the council as the planning director, said the diagrams use a 25-foot rear setback, a 6-foot separation from a principal residence and — in some proposals — a 30-foot buffer measured from an adjacent lot’s buildable area. "This is showing 25 feet for the rear, for the setback to the ADU from the rear property line," he said while explaining the graphics. He and other staff stressed the differences among zoning districts and lot sizes and said some parcels simply would not accommodate a detached unit under tighter rules.
Council members repeatedly asked how many of the qualifying 11,000-square-foot lots would be prevented from building detached ADUs under the proposed setbacks; staff answered that a citywide survey had not yet been completed. Several council members raised fairness and equity concerns about a 30-foot buildable-area buffer, saying it could effectively deny many lot owners a feasible detached ADU. "It can't be unreasonably difficult to locate them," one council member said, citing state guidance the staff had summarized.
On unit dimensions and form, staff proposed limiting footprints and discussed height ceilings that would allow small lofts but prohibit second stories. Staff described a flat‑roof minimum of about 12 feet at the bare setback with potential increases farther into the lot and suggested maximum footprints in the mid‑hundreds of square feet. Council members said they were more comfortable with lower footprints and with exploring 15–20 foot rear setbacks or a 20‑foot minimum building‑to‑building separation instead of a strict 30‑foot buildable buffer.
Council direction: staff will return with alternative graphics and draft language showing 15‑ and 20‑foot rear setbacks, a consistent interior setback baseline and smaller maximum unit sizes (staff indicated it would consider reducing the proposed maximums into the 650–850 sq ft range). Staff also flagged that state law allows ADUs on qualifying lots and that the council must adopt rules by the statutory deadline; one council member reminded the group, "We have to come up with something by August or October 1. That's what we're charged with by the state."
