Arapahoe County is proposing to add Accessory Dwelling Unit regulations in the Land Development Code to expand the range of housing options and address housing affordability and availability within unincorporated areas of the County. Currently, Accessory Dwelling Units are not allowed in the County.
Accessory Dwelling Units, or ADUs, are secondary dwellings that can be added to, created within, or built adjacent to a detached single-family dwelling.
The draft regulations are available for review and the public can weigh in by answering a short survey. The public comment period ends Feb. 1.
After the public comment period ends, public hearings by the Planning Commission and the Board of County Commissioners will be held this spring.
The proposed regulations would:
- Allow both attached and detached ADUs in all Agricultural and most Residential zoning districts on lots of at least 5,000 square feet
- Require detached ADUs in urban areas to be in the rear or side yard, behind the principal dwelling
- Limit ADU square footage based on the size of the lot and/or the principal dwelling
- Create minimum design requirements
- Require off-street parking
- Require owner occupancy of the principal dwelling or the ADU
- Except for large properties of 19 or more acres, allow a maximum of two bedrooms
The County started working on the draft regulations in the fall of 2021 with a public survey. Check out the survey results. Planning staff has met with the Planning Commission and the Board of County Commissioners during various study sessions held last year.
The public is invited to view the draft regulations and complete the survey at www.arapahoegov.com/adu
Comments or concerns about the draft regulations can also be directed to Arapahoe County Public Works and Development Department Project Specialist Gretchen Ricehill: gricehill@arapahoegov.com