The Kalispell City Council voted at its July 19 meeting to allow accessory dwelling units (ADUs), otherwise known as mother in-law units, in certain zoning districts in the city following discussions at multiple work sessions and council meetings that began last fall.
Passing in a 9-1 vote with Councilor Chad Graham opposing, the ordinance mandates that ADUs must require an administrative conditional-use permit for the zones, provide two off-street parking spaces, limit living space to 1,000 square feet and meet setback requirements.
Councilors also passed an amendment proposed by Councilor Tim Kluesner during the meeting to require a minimum of 30 nights on rentals to dissuade homeowners from turning the ADUs into short-term rentals. Councilors Kyle Waterman, Sid Daoud and Graham opposed the amendment.
“This speaks to the whole premise to help with affordable housing,” Kluesner said. “Eliminating the VRBO aspect of it helps.”
Proponents of the ordinance say ADUs will add housing to the city, which is lacking inventory and rental opportunities. It also provides a secondary income for property owners, increases the occupancy of a given plot of land and adds opportunities for communal and multigenerational living.
Graham, the only councilor who voted in opposition of the ordinance, expressed concerns that ADUs will change the character of neighborhoods and add congestion.
“I’m trying to protect the character of those neighborhoods because as we go through and pull the rug out and allow for a more and more transient nature use instead of a stable use, it will eventually flip over to more in and out uses,” Graham said. “I don’t support this.”
A previous ordinance that would have allowed ADUs in the same zones was tabled during its second reading in February when Councilor Sid Daoud, who is a proponent of the ordinance, accidentally requested to table it.
The ordinance was then killed after some councilors reversed course in the second reading, but a separate ordinance was added to the work session agenda in June following the procedural mistake.
Three individuals spoke in support of the ordinance during public comment at the July 19 meeting, including Kim Morisaki, the executive director of the Northwest Community Land Trust, which provides affordable homeownership opportunities for low- and moderate-income families.
“The reason I’m here today is I view ADUs as another benefit of homeownership that solves a problem that this entire community is facing, and it’s also a market-based solution,” Morisaki said.
“All by itself, I know ADUs in all neighborhoods would not solve our current housing challenge just like the 52 houses in the land trust do not solve the problem,” Morisaki added. “But we see high-density apartments going up … This is a city that needs all the tools in the toolbox to address the challenge.”