Page 16 - Flathead Beacon // 12.17.14

16 | DECEMBER 17, 2014 NEWS FLATHEADBEACON.COM Commission OKs Accessory Dwelling Units
New amendment to zoning regulation allows for rentable spaces in certain areas
By MOLLY PRIDDY of the Beacon
The Flathead County Commission voted unanimously to accept a new amendment to the county’s zoning rules that allows rentable accessory dwelling units in certain county zones.
The vote came during a Dec. 9 hear- ing, during which the commission con- sidered the public comment garnered on the issue before voting.
Accessory dwelling units (ADU) are defined as a single, habitable living unit added to, created within, or detached from a principal single-family dwelling. These units must provide the basic “re- quirements for living, sleeping, eating, cooking and sanitation.”
ADUs must be equipped for stays of 30 or more days, and can be no larger than 40 percent of the floor area of the principal dwelling. One ADU is permit-
An alley on Kalispell’s east side neighborhood. GREG LINDSTROM | FLATHEAD BEACON
the commission tabled the issue to fur- ther discuss public comment.
Staff at the Flathead County Plan- ning and Zoning Department reported receiving numerous comments from the public on the ADU issue, many of them in the form of postcard or emails com- posed by local nonprofit Citizens for a Better Flathead, which opposed the measure as written.
As a group, Citizens for a Better Flat- head opposed the amendment, saying it could have unintended consequences for landowners. The organization sug- gested requiring that neighborhoods or zoned areas petition to show support for ADUs, and asked that the county require owner occupancy in the primary build- ing so the rentals are well managed.
CFBF had a host of other suggestions for the amendment, including adding more standards and definitions for cer- tain issues, like noise, lights, blocked views and more.
The commission didn’t change the amendment, noting that if problems with ADUs arise in the valley, the regu- lation can be adjusted as needed.
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ted per tract of record and may be rented to the general public.
The units were devised at the plan- ning board level, as a way to allow home- owners to make money on their personal property, while also adding more afford- able housing to the Flathead.
An ADU is now a permitted use in
various zones, including agricultural, suburban-agricultural, and residential. In certain residential zones, an ADU is an option under a conditional use permit.
Adding ADUs to the Flathead County Zoning Regulations first came through to the commission from the Flathead County Planning Board on Nov. 17, but
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