City-County Planning Department

Supplementary Requirements

7.3 Accessory Dwellings

When allowed, accessory dwellings shall be subject to the following additional requirements:

1. The accessory dwelling is located within the primary dwelling or meets the locational and dimensional requirements for accessory structures.
2. Only one accessory dwelling is allowed. The primary dwelling must be located on a lot which meets the minimum area requirements of the zoning district, but need not meet the minimum dimensional requirements for the zoning district.
3. The owner of the property must occupy either the primary or the accessory dwelling.
4. The heated floor area of the accessory dwelling shall not be less than 400 square feet.
5. In addition to the requirement of a minimum floor area of 400 square feet, the accessory dwelling shall not exceed a maximum of 30% of the floor area of the primary dwelling.
Interpretation: Examples of accessory dwelling square footage are:
1. A 1,333 square foot primary dwelling is needed for a 400 square foot accessory dwelling. (30% of 1,333 = 400 square feet)
2. A 2,000 square foot primary dwelling is needed for a 600 square foot accessory dwelling.
6. The property shall retain a single family appearance from the street.
7. One additional off-street parking space shall be provided. The space may not be located in the required yard spaces.
8. Accessory dwellings in the RD district may exceed the maximum floor area of 30% of the floor area of the primary dwelling on lots of 4 acres or larger. In such cases, the square footage of the accessory dwelling may be up to 50% of the square footage of the primary dwelling. All other requirements regarding accessory dwellings shall apply.
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