The City Council Zoning Committee on Tuesday advanced a proposal to legalize so-called “granny flats” citywide, allowing Chicago homeowners to build basement, attic, garage, and coach house apartments on their property without obtaining special permission from their alderperson.
The 13-7 vote came after supporters of the “additional dwelling unit” ordinance agreed to a number of safeguards aimed at preventing a deluge of such apartments from being built in neighborhoods where most existing housing is single-family homes.
Chicago has largely banned the construction of additional dwelling units since 1957…