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Case IOOOOA-09 Accessory Dwelling Unit Standards STANDARDS AND REGULATIONS Approval process Page 3.3 Renting rooms in a single-family home to no more than two roomers is a permitted accessory use. Staff recommends treating ADUs that meet proposed standards in the same manner, as a permitted accessory use. Creating a more onerous process for ADUs could lead to situations where homeowners go to great lengths to present the appearance of a roomer situation when it fact the created area shares more characteristics with an ADU. A public hearing process could also create a situation in which the public assumes the city has a higher level of discretion that it actually has. As a permitted accessory use, ADUs would be subject to review by the Planning, Building and Inspection, and Environmental Health Divisions. ADUs created by building additions would be subject to existing setback, lot coverage, exterior materials, and other applicable City Code regulations. Applicants requesting a variance to any of these standards, such as a setback variance, would be subject to City Council approval. Location and size The proposed ordinance allows ADUs only in the R-1 or RS -1 residential zoning districts. The R -IA zoning district contains homes not connected to municipal sanitary sewer service, which would not meet the proposed requirement that homes with ADUs must be connected to sanitary sewer and water service. ADUs would not be permitted on sites with less than 11,000 square feet. 11,000 square feet is the minimum site size for a single-family home. % of total residential parcels in R-1 and RS -1 Zoning Districts by size <7,000 sq. ft. .5% 7 —11,000 sq. ft. 16.2% 11 — 15,000 sq. ft. 32.4% > 15,000 sq. ft. 50.9% ADUs must be attached to four season living space or located within a single-family home. ADUs are not permitted in conjunction with two-family dwellings, townhomes, or multiple -family dwellings. ADUs would not be permitted in detached garages or structures. Staff believes allowing ADUs in detached structures does not promote the appearance of a single-family home and would be more difficult, if not impossible, to convert back to single-family living space once the ADU is no longer in use. The minimum size for an ADU is 300 square feet and the maximum size must not exceed 960 square feet. The minimum floor area for a two-family dwelling is 960 square feet; the upper maximum of 960 is used to not confuse an ADU with a two-family home. Report to the Planning Commission May 7, 2009 Division of City Planning