Moscow considers allowing more accessory dwellings

This is fascinating. Moscow allowing “mother-in-law” apartments to be built in someone’s back yard. 

Pending Moscow City Council approval Monday, Moscow property owners ineligible to construct an accessory dwelling unit on their lot because of its size will be allowed to build one if they choose.

Since the city council in 2015 approved an ADU ordinance allowing the units in all residential zones, eight ADUs — separate units that are accessory to single-family dwellings — have been constructed throughout the city.

But several properties do not meet the minimum lot area of the zoning district they are in and city staff has received numerous inquiries since 2015 regarding establishing ADUs on lots with nonconforming sizes, Moscow Planning Manager Mike Ray told the Moscow City Council Administrative Committee Monday.

The proposal, recommended by the Moscow Planning and Zoning Commission, would remove the limited lot size eligibility requirement from the ordinance to open ADU opportunities to the nonconforming lot owners.
…
The city’s development standards restrict the size of ADUs so they are accessory to the principal structure on the property, Ray said.

The ADUs must be no more than 600 square feet in size or 40 percent of the gross floor area of the principal dwelling, whichever is less. Occupancy of the ADUs is limited to two and the owner must live in the ADU or in the principal dwelling on the property. One off-street parking space is required for the ADU.

600 ft² isn’t very large. Maybe I could get one of those Tiny Homes and throw in my backyard.