Accessory Apartment Attached: this is the term used in Snohomish County in reference to a dwelling unit that is in the same structure as, under the same ownership as, and subordinate to an owner-occupied single family dwelling unit. But the blended, single limit that the county council settled on brings the standard back to earth and better delineates it from a detached single-family home while promoting it as a more affordable alternative. Transitioning to Tiny Home Living A tiny home can be the ideal solution to a variety of housing challenges. Should I Build a Second Story on My Shed? What are the specific conditions of having an ADU on your property? Youre also gaining extraordinary flexibility with your property. On June 9, 2021, the county unanimously voted to pass a series of ADU reforms for both urban and rural areas of Snohomish County. They want to ensure the ADU is in compliance with county codes and regulations. The county says that from 2012 to 2019, it issued permits for just 100 ADUs in the rural area (3 attached and 97 detached). WebRequired for new or modified access to a County maintained road. If were looking at affordable housing, green housing, and increasing density, I think its critical that we can remove the restriction for the parking spots.. 3000 Rockefeller Avenue, M/S 609. SDOT Director Greg Spotts was our guest on February 15. %PDF-1.7 Cherry Design + Build Share Accessory dwelling units or ADUs those separate living units tucked inside a single family home or sharing land with one are having a rock star moment. The regulations restrict ADUs to a maximum floor area of 1,200 square feet, which is about the size of a modest doublewide mobile home. Unit Lot Subdivision FAQ Here's an excerpt from SnoCo Code regarding detached ADU's: "The floor area of a detached accessory apartment shall not exceed 40 percent of the floor area of the single family dwelling unit to which it is accessory, or 850 square feet, whichever is less." Darya Farivar, The Urbanist Elections Committees endorsed candidate in LD46, was our October Urbanist Meetup guest. Well be talking about her run for reelection in District 2. Published July 7, 2021 or call 360-568-4121. The key proposed changes in the countys ADU regulations are as follows: The Snohomish County Council is the next stop for the legislation, which so far has not had an initial briefing. Look no further. Vision 2050 Has Passed. Register for the Zoom Link. On Monday, the Seattle City Council unanimously (8-0 vote) adopted a land use reform bill, easing restrictions on building accessory dwelling units (ADUs) in single A few said property owners should have the option for bigger distances in rural areas. Theres no floor area limit on unfinished basements and attached garages. January 2022. Well be talking about her run for reelection in District 2. However, the Kenmore City Council did weaken reform, dispensing with a planning commission-recommended policy to allow up to two ADUs on single-family lots that are 8,000 square feet or more in size. Only one accessory dwelling per primary single detached dwelling or townhouse unit. She explained her position on why ADUs should have parking requirements claiming that the residents of ADUs do have less cars, but they dont seem to have no cars.. Under the recently adopted regional growth plan, Vision 2050, the plan explicitly states that Snohomish Countys rural growth through 2050 is limited to 4.5% of allocated population growth or 18,500 more residents. Accessory dwelling unit (ADU) reform has been taking off across the Puget Sound region. A:Yes. The Snohomish County Zoning Code requires compliance with the following standards in order to qual- ify for and retain a permit for a Detached Accessory Dwelling Unit: Floor area: The floor area for a Detached Accessory Dwelling Unit shall not exceed 1,200 square feet (floor Last year, the county adopted sweeping ADU legislation. Toshiko Grace Hasegawa, a Seattle Port commissioner and rising star in local politics, joined us for our June virtual meetup. Perhaps y Are you considering the addition of a home office space in your backyard? Ballots are due February 14. It is not permissible to set up an ADU at a rental property. The changes were numerous, such as increasing the size of allowed ADUs, increasing the number of ADUs per lot in unincorporated urban areas to two, authorizing one attached ADU on substandard rural lots, eliminating other major barriers to ADUs like owner-occupancy requirements, and reforming ADU design standards. This is because the county has an odd quirk that allows for recognition of legal lots, especially if portions of properties had been transferred by deed prior to 1972 (the year that subdivision laws came into effect for most rural divisions of land). Please check out the following link to AARP's (The The next 1-3 years is the timeframe to act on the idea of developing an ADU. The planning commission, however, pushed for a much higher number at 1,600 square feet, which is on the scale of many single-family homes. The #Homes4WA push to end exclusionary zoning statewide will resume this session. The changes lift this restriction entirely. In December, Futurewise was our guest for a state legislative preview. If needed, submit an access permit application. Watch the video. https://www.theurbanist.org/2021/06/10/snoco-liberalizes-adu-rules A legally permitted unit in the home is called an attached accessory dwelling unit (AADU). How to Finance a Highway Spending Spree: Records Reveal Oregons Plans for Toll Hikes, One per single-family residence with some exceptions, Two per single-family residence on a lot with some exceptions, One AADU and one DADU per lot with a single-family residence in urban zones and one ADU per lot with a single-family residence in non-urban zones with some exceptions, 600 square feet to 1,500 square feet, depending upon lot size, Defaults to zoning standards generally, but in the R-4 and R-6 zones, an ADU may be allowed in the required rear setback provided that it is not located closer than 10 feet to the rear lot line, Defaults to zoning standards generally, but in low density residential zones, DADUs are allowed within 5 feet rear property line or alley, On lots with more than one ADU, one off-street parking space is required with some exceptions, One off-street parking space is required per ADU with some exceptions in urban zones, Only for six consecutive months after completion of the ADU, Only on lots sized 10,000 square feet or more, 1,000 square feet or 50% of primary residence living space, whichever is greater, 1,000 square feet, except if on a single level of pre-existing floor area of the primary residence, 10% of the lot size or 50% of the primary residence living space, whichever is less, On lots 6,000 square feet or greater in size, 10% of the lot area up to 1,500 square feet, and on lots less than 6,000 square feet in size, 600 square feet, 35 feet, provided that a DADU may not exceed one story over a detached garage or two stories if built from ground level, In the R-4 and R-6 zones, an ADU may be allowed in the required rear setback provided that it is not located closer than 10 feet to the rear lot line, 5 feet eave to eave or other projections beyond the walls between the DADU and primary residence, Only one entrance for the primary residence or AADU may be located on each streetside facade, Either the primary residence or ADU must be owner-occupied, Either the primary residence or ADU must be owner-occupied for at least six consecutive months after completion of the ADU, after which point the requirement may be extinguished, If the primary residence or ADU is no longer owner-occupied, the ADU must be removed or converted to another accessory use, The total number of occupants in the primary residence and ADU combined cannot exceed the maximum for a single-family dwelling, Two per single-family residence on a lot, though DADUs may be limited to one per lot in certain cases, DADUs on lots created from historic preservation subdivisions must be located behind the historic residence, 40% of the total square footage between the primary residence and AADU, provided that if the AADU is located on a single floor, the planning department may allow a larger size, 1,200 square feet, provided that if the AADU is located on a single floor, the planning department may allow a larger size, 800 square feet or 40% of the total square footage between the primary residence and DADU, In low density residential zones, a DADUs 1) without alley access may be located within 5 feet of a rear property line if the structure is no taller than 15 feet within the required rear yard, and 2) abutting an alley may be located within 5 feet of the alley, A primary entrance to an ADU must be located in manner that is clearly secondary to the main entrance of the primary residence, On lots with more than one ADU, one off-street parking space is required unless on-street parking is available within 600 feet of the lot or the lot is located with a half-mile of frequent transit service during commuter hours, An ADU cannot be subdivided or segregated in ownership from the primary residence, ADUs cannot be subdivided but can be segregated in ownership from the primary residence, ADUs are prohibited are on lots smaller than the minimum lot size for small lot single-family and historic preservation subdivisions, Only as limited under the Property Maintenance Code, First 500 square feet of ADUs on a lot less than 8,500 square feet in size when located more than 20 feet from and behind the primary residence, and first 800 square feet of ADUs on a lot less equal to or greater than 8,500 square feet in size when located more than 20 feet from and behind the primary residence, Same, except that the exemption also applies to DADUs 10 feet from and behind the primary residence, One per lot with a single-family residence, provided that an ADU is not permitted on a lot that has a temporary dwelling unit, In urban zones, one AADU and one DADU are permitted per lot with a single-family residence; and in rural, resource, or other zones, one ADU is permitted per lot with a single-family residence, provided that DADUs are not permitted on lots that do not meet the minimum lot size for the zone and DADUs as mobile homes are only permitted on lots that are 10 acres in size or more, 20% to 40% of the floor area of the primary residence, depending up size, up to 1,500 square, provided that an AADU cannot be less than 360 square feet and the primary residence cannot be reduced to less than 900 square feet, 1,600 square feet, excluding garages, porches, and unfinished basements, 40% of the floor area of the primary residence or 850 square feet, whichever is less, provided that a DADU cannot be less than 360 square feet, In residential, multiple family, and commercial zones, a DADU cannot be located beyond the primary residence front unless well landscaped or compatible, One off-street parking space is required per ADU, except that in urban zones one of the two parking spaces for primary residence can be used to meet the requirement, An owner-occupancy covenant must be recorded, Maximum separation between the primary residence and DADU is 100 feet, except for DADUs in a legally constructed accessory structure prior to the ADU reform legislation adoption, and ADUs must use the same driveway as the primary residence, ADUs must be screened with a six-foot high fence or five-foot wide high intensity landscape screening, In zones where permitted, an administrative conditional use permit is required, In zones where permitted, the use is permitted outright. 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