Mayor & Council: Stand by Your ADU Vote & Focus on Affordability, Not Size

City of Tucson Mayor & Council


UPDATE (11/15/21):

On November 9, Vice Mayor & Council voted to reconsider the ADU ordinance adopted on October 19. There will be a public hearing on Tuesday, December 7 to reconsider the ordinance, specifically the portions of the proposal that relate to ADU size.

The ordinance adopted on October 19 would have allowed ADUs of up to 1,000 square feet on lots of 7,000 square feet or more; and ADUs of up to 750 square feet on lots that are under 7,000 square feet in size. It has been proposed that this be changed to a maximum ADU size of 850 square feet on lots of 8,500 square feet or more, and 650 square feet on lots under 8,500 square feet. There will be further opportunity for public comment and discussion on this aspect at the hearing on December 7.

There are several ways to provide input to Mayor and Council:


  • Submit a comment to cityclerk@tucsonaz.gov by 5:00 p.m., Monday, December 6, 2021

  • Request to speak at the hearing by emailing cityclerk@tucsonaz.gov by 2:00 p.m., Tuesday, December 7, 2021

  • Make sure you sign this petition & share widely (bit.ly/AffordableADU)

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Mayor and Council held a public hearing on October 19 to take public comments regarding Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs). Following this hearing and their deliberations, Mayor and Council adopted an amendment to the Unified Development code to allow ADUs, or casitas.

The code amendment adopted by Mayor & Council allows:

  • One ADU to be built on any residential lot in the city (meaning a lot with one or two homes)
  • The maximum size of the ADU is up to 1,000 square feet for lots over 7,000 square feet and 750 square feet on lots under 7,000 square feet
  • The maximum height for ADUs is 12' or the height of the primary structure, whichever is greater
  • All other dimensional standards regarding lot coverage and setbacks apply
  • One parking space would be required per ADU, which could be waived for sites that are a quarter-mile from transit or a bike boulevard; on-street parking can also be used
  • Each newly constructed ADU would be required to have a cool roof

Mayor and Council set a 5-year sunset date for the ordinance, at which point it could be updated/renewed, or sunset from the code, as well as a review of the program in 2 years.

A small group of residents are requesting Mayor and Council bring the ADU proposal back for reconsideration in order to put additional size restrictions in place. This undermines the democratic process and disregards the hard work of staff, the stakeholder group, and the community through a year-long public engagement process that resulted in compromises on both sides.

This petition is asking that Mayor and Council focus instead upon directing their limited staff and resources to develop programs to provide resources and technical support to make ADUs accessible and affordable to Tucson homeowners and residents, including a pilot program to fund ADU repairs and improvements, and to establish an amnesty program for unpermitted ADUs.

Link to information page about Accessory Dwelling Units Code Amendment: https://www.tucsonaz.gov/pdsd/accessory-dwelling-units-code-amendment

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To: City of Tucson Mayor & Council
From: [Your Name]

A small group of residents are requesting Mayor and Council bring the ADU proposal back for reconsideration in order to put additional size restrictions in place. This effectively undermines the democratic process and disregards the hard work of staff, the stakeholder group, and the community through a year-long public engagement process that resulted in compromises on both sides.

This petition is asking that Mayor and Council focus instead upon directing their limited staff and resources to develop programs to provide resources and technical support to make ADUs accessible and affordable to Tucson homeowners and residents, including a pilot program to fund ADU repairs and improvements, and to establish an amnesty program for unpermitted ADUs.