Some Asheville residents will now have an easier time setting up new housing on their property. In a unanimous Tuesday vote, Asheville City Council relaxed regulations on certain “accessory dwelling units,” independent housing units located on the same lot as single-family homes.
As presented by Stephanie Monson Dahl, the city’s planning and urban design director, the change only applies to creating ADUs in existing structures, like garages or sheds, that had been built before Asheville adopted its current zoning standards. Previously, if those structures weren’t far enough back from other lots, owners had to seek approval from the city Board of Adjustment before converting them into ADUs.
The new rule, Dahl explained, gives owners that right automatically, reducing the time, cost and uncertainty of the conversion process. She emphasized that any new ADUs must still meet city requirements for parking, height and size: no more than 800 square feet on a lot of less than an acre, or 1,200 square feet on lots of 1-3 acres. Short-term vacation rentals and homestays would not be allowed in ADUs created under the rule…