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Woodside Town Council reviewed the first draft of a new ordinance that will allow for the conversion of barns into accessory dwelling units during a recent council meeting. Council members recommended staff look further into total floor area, sites located on uphill slopes, promotion of equestrian heritage and traffic impacts before the next reading.
According to Planning Director Sage Schaan, the new regulations would help increase the production of accessory dwelling units by creating more flexibility in construction regulations. This will increase the town’s total number of housing units, Schaan added.
The ordinance, which council considered on March 11, was also drafted to align with updated state laws that require local jurisdictions to approve new detached dwelling units up to 800 square feet, up to 16 feet tall and as close as 4 feet to the side and rear property lines, said Schaan.
The staff’s proposal would allow for the full conversion of one existing barn or stable to be converted into one or more dwelling units. The converted barn cannot be altered in height, size or location and must maintain its equestrian and rural integrity per the town’s objective design standards, said Associate Planner Melanie Olson during a presentation to the council.
Town staff recommend that the new ordinance remove existing limitations to the size of the units and allow for it to be up to 50% of a barn’s floor area.
“Since barns can be up to 3,000 square feet in some zoning districts, it makes sense to remove the limit of the ADU to 1,200 square feet,” Olson said.
Amendments to height limitations
The ordinance proposes a change that would allow the downward slope of a unit to exceed an overall height of 17 feet as long as the downward facing slope does not exceed 28 feet. The proposal also recommends a height exception for dwelling units with shed roofs, which slope downward in a single direction.
Changes to existing code would also permit one additional dwelling unit per property that is 800 square feet or less and 16 feet tall or less.
Dwelling units built above garages would be allowed to have 12-foot plate heights and an overall height of 18 feet. Any greater height will increase the setback of the building from the property line, Olson said.
Council deliberations and public concerns
All council members supported the ordinance and its target to increase the production of accessory dwelling units. Residents however shared their concerns for lack of sewer and impacts to traffic.
As the conversion of barns to dwelling units diminishes the town’s inventory of barns, Council member Dick Brown asked if there are any efforts to encourage residents to build more barns.
“Our whole equestrian inventory is shrinking and I hate to see us encouraging converting (barns) that maybe could be retained for equestrian purposes,” said Brown.
Schaan responded that this conversion could be useful for property owners that have an existing barn that isn’t being used for livestock. The ordinance also does not prohibit owners from building additional livestock facilities or converting it back to a barn if they choose to.
Council member Jenn Wall asked for clarification on whether the square footage of dwelling units apply to the total floor area of a property. Schann said the current code indicates that the first 800 square feet of a unit on a property does not count toward the total floor area and would not impact the square footage on a property.
Some areas of Woodside are zoned as special conservation planning districts which have environmental constraints such as high fire risk or a creek running through the property. “The more potential constraints on a property, the larger the minimum lot size was supposed to be,” Schaan said.
He welcomed the council to look into these special districts as there is potential for exemption to be made in the new ordinance that might allow for more production of units.
Woodside residents spoke during public comment asking how the town would handle increased housing density without available funds to upgrade road infrastructure. Town Manager Kevin Bryant reassured residents by explaining that the town leans toward building additional dwelling units because it allows for less concentration and more dispersed housing.
Concerns about building a sewer for new housing were addressed by Mayor Brian Dombkowski who said that density is planned for areas that have sewer systems or are adjacent to them. Wall added that with additional dwelling unit productions, the property owner would have to demonstrate that the property is capable of having a septic system or connecting to a sewer line.
With the council’s direction, the town staff will revisit the draft ordinance and make necessary amendments before the next review.
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