On July 1 the Seattle City Council passed a legislation that will make it easier for more property owners to build Detached Accessory Dwelling Units or DADUs and Attached Accessory Dwelling Units or AADUs.
The legislation:
- Reduces the minimum lot size required to build a DADU on a single-family lot from 4,000 square feet to 3,200 square feet;
- Increase the maximum size of DADUs from 800 square feet to 1,000 square feet, excluding any parking or storage areas;
- Removes the owner-occupancy requirement for ADUs;
- Removes the off-street parking requirement for ADUs;
- Allows two ADUs on one lot (either one attached and one detached, or two attached) if the second ADU meets a green building standard or will be affordable to households at or below 80% of area median income;
- Increases the maximum household size permitted on a single-family lot from 8 to 12 unrelated people only if the lot includes two ADUs;
- Increases DADU height limits by 1-3 feet, with flexibility for green building strategies;
- Allows design flexibility to preserve existing trees and to convert existing accessory structures to a DADU;
- Require annual reporting on ADU production and requires that the Office of Planning and Community Development and the Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections conduct a survey of ADU owners and occupants within 3 years.
- Introduces a Floor Area Limit (FAR) for all new development in single-family zones with some exemptions.
The new Floor Area Limit (FAR) will discourage the tear town of smaller, older homes to build the so-called McMansions.
Signed Ordinance 125854 – Council Bill 1219544: https://seattle.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=F&ID=7532434&GUID=D2A02EE2-1AA9-44BA-AC80-D54045C628E8