LFP Planning Commission recommends changes to Accessory Dwelling Units (ADU) regulations

Example of one type of Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU)

Over the past few years, the Lake Forest Park City Council and staff have heard from residents that the Accessory Dwelling Unit regulations are very restrictive, including preventing the building of detached units in front or side yards, even though many of the single-family homes in LFP are built in the rear of the property.

 
In theory, an ADU may be created as a separate unit within an existing home (in an attic or basement), an addition to the home (a separate unit with separate entrance), or in a separate structure on the lot (also known as a detached ADU or DADU).

 
The Planning Commission reviewed the current regulations and surveyed the community about the issue. After thoughtful discussions at meetings over the summer and fall, the Commission has forwarded its recommendations to the Council, which began discussions at a special meeting on November 4, 2021.

 
The Planning Commission has made several key recommendations, including 

1. removal of the rear-yard restriction,
2. raising the height restriction to 25 feet to allow building an apartment on top of a garage or other structure, and 
3. allowing both an ADU and a DADU on lots of one acre or more. The City Council will continue discussion of the Commission’s recommendations at upcoming meetings and will likely hold a public hearing on them early next year.