Support for ADU (Casita) Ordinance
City of Tucson Mayor & Council
A proposal to allow Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs, also known as casitas, in-law or "granny flats") in Tucson has been developed based on input from the public and a stakeholder group and is currently going through public review.
The current draft proposal would allow:
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 would be 1,000 square feet for lots over 7,000 square feet and 750 square feet on lots under 7,000 square feet
All other dimensional standards, including maximum building height, lot coverage, and setbacks would 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
Learn more: take a look at this flyer for an overview of the proposal (folleto en Español).
We support this proposal as written, and strongly urge the Mayor and Council to promptly adopt it. It was forwarded with a recommendation of approval to Council from the Planning Commission, who held two public hearings. This one tool, as written, will:
Help our community break away from harmful, racist exclusionary zoning practices (e.g., protections for large lots and height restrictions) that negatively impact quality of life as explained in this video
Give families more options for living together in multi-generational dwellings
Diversify and increase our housing stock which will make housing more affordable for families and seniors, as well as better serve our changing housing needs
Help curtail harmful urban sprawl that endangers wildlife habitat and our water resources
Allow for homeowners to create income properties, thus ensuring long-term economic stability and provide an additional pathway to generational wealth
- Stimulate economic development within the construction sector and cultivate a smaller scale segment of the housing industry
- Bring “illegal” units online, thus allowing homeowners to capitalize on the equity of their investments
Details about the Accessory Dwelling Code Amendment can be found here: https://www.tucsonaz.gov/pdsd/accessory-dwelling-units-code-amendment
ADU Frequently Asked Questions: https://www.tucsonaz.gov/pdsd/accessory-dwelling-units-code-amendment/FAQ
Sponsored by
To:
City of Tucson Mayor & Council
From:
[Your Name]
As advocates of inclusive housing policies who envision a future where everybody has access to safe, quality housing near jobs, services, and opportunity, we strongly urge Mayor and Council to promptly adopt the ADU proposal as written.
A loud minority of residents have issues with the lot coverage and height requirements in the current draft. However, limiting ADU heights or adjusting the lot coverage will make it unnecessarily difficult for some families with unusual lot configurations to build an ADU. We're in a climate emergency and can't afford to keep facilitating sprawl in order to protect certain individuals' backyard views. The current draft ordinance is a careful balance of the community's input. Changing something like the height requirement could mean someone cannot build an ADU because they wouldn't be able to accommodate the parking requirement with a carriage house-style design, for example (these can already be found in 'desirable' neighborhoods such as Armory Park and West University). Limiting the building height could also encourage less sustainable building and landscape designs.
Staff have conducted a successful public participation effort to inform Tucsonans and incorporate feedback from a diverse set of community members. Staff have been transparent about what could be built under the current language of the ordinance -- e.g., including visuals in presentations and flyers of two-story ADUs, as well as examples of ADUs that are larger than the primary dwelling structure. Changing the ordinance at this point would mean Councilmembers are rejecting the work of the community in order to appease a select few. It would be disrespectful of the democratic process to make changes to the ordinance as it is now written.
The people who will benefit the most from this ordinance are low-income and working class families who are struggling to juggle affordable housing along with demands of child and senior care, especially during this COVID-19 pandemic. Please do not make modifications that will make this ordinance too restrictive for the typical Tucson family to adhere to, or limit the opportunity for families to increase their potential wealth.