Prospective client wants help situating a proposed ADU, specifically making sure that it follow setback restrictions.?ÿ That might be a challenge, given that he has the ADU straddling the lot line.?ÿ There doesn't appear to be enough room -- not even close -- to scoot it closer to the existing house without violating the specified separation distances.
I said no thanks unless he either moves the ADU design location onto the lot or cures the boundary conflict.?ÿ I don't want any part of the mess that's likely to ensue under the current design.
What's an ADU?
Thanks!
N
accessory dwelling unit?
@back-chain?ÿ I had to google it too and that's what I came up with.
The drawing looks like a product from an architect or landscape artichoke that typically demonstrate their lack of survey knowledge as it applies to the real world on the ground. ?????ÿ
@flga-2
HA!!! Artichoke.?ÿ God I was married to one amd never could muster that one.
Did they use 32nds or 72nds in their measurements????ÿ Lol
accessory dwelling unit?
Yes, sorry for not making that explicit.?ÿ In CA it's become a common term, as recent state legislation restricted the ability of local agencies to prevent them from being built on existing single-family lots.
The drawing looks like a product from an architect or landscape artichoke that typically demonstrate their lack of survey knowledge as it applies to the real world on the ground.
Agreed, but the drawing agrees with aerial photography.?ÿ I don't know how the back fence got built where it did, but it's clearly outside the lot lines.?ÿ What baffles me is that the designer (a manufacturer of pre-fab ADUs) doesn't seem to perceive a problem.
@jim-frame?ÿ Well, the designer seems to be going by where the fence is-- but yeah it's funny.
We used to just call these things a shack or a shed or something; I don't know if I could keep a straight face using "accessory dwelling unit" in casual conversation.
@jim-frame?ÿ Well, the designer seems to be going by where the fence is-- but yeah it's funny.
We used to just call these things a shack or a shed or something; I don't know if I could keep a straight face using "accessory dwelling unit" in casual conversation.
Here in Oregon, we use ADU all the time (However I thought it was 'Additional' as opposed to 'Accessory', but that probably doesn't matter). They are more than a shed. They are more like a mother-in-law suite or guest house. They even get converted to Condo Units. Initially they started out being just a little larger than a shed but now they can be rather large.?ÿ?ÿ
They haven't yet started letting owners build them onto their neighbors property.?ÿ
Here in the other WA, the ADU concept is popular. So much so it has suffered much regulation in certain communities that it has become difficult to achieve or maintain.?ÿ Lot coverage, setbacks, structure size, impervious area, tree canopy percentages, fire code (sprinklers) and parking are all issues that need to be considered. In many places, the property owner must occupy one of the dwelling units for it to legal. The occupation thing became a sticking point with the property next door to mine when a RE broker bought the place and rented both units out.?ÿ I called him on it and they were "forced" to sell in order to become into compliance.?ÿ
@jim-frame The "Arichoke" clearly shows the property and setback lines and still puts the ADU there?
That is funny! I have seen some weird stuff but that there is priceless!?ÿ?ÿ
What about the town permits? Here in Dirty Jersey, before a structure is built the town engineer reviews the plans to issue a permit. I would imagine that would be denied before it left the secretary??s desk!?ÿ
What about the town permits?
The survey was requested for use in preparing the permit application.?ÿ They hadn't run into that brick wall yet.
In my own situation, the house next door was sold a few years ago to an out-of-area family whose son was attending the local university.?ÿ He and 3 other members of the soccer team lived in it for a year, then they added an ADU and a couple more guys moved in.?ÿ They all graduated last year, and now it's rented to a gaggle of girls -- it's an informal sorority house.?ÿ They were generally good neighbors until Covid came around, but they just didn't take things like masks, distancing and limited gathering size seriously.?ÿ After a few large parties I turned them in to the university, which *does* take that stuff seriously, and there have been no problems since.
Given my druthers it'd be owner-occupied, but living a block from a university campus means putting up with some student presence.
@jim-frame You can bet that the mortgage is based on owner occupied. In this area, in order for one to have an ADU one of the residences has to be owner occupied.
@dmyhill The place is empty again. Current owner decided to move off grid someplace so both houses are vacant.?ÿ I expect the parade of potential owners will start any day now.?ÿ I should just post a sign that I am grumpy about land use regulation.
When the unit was first built the parents put the son on the deed, which allowed them a bit more flexibility (I think it had to do with the number of required off-street parking spaces, though I no longer recall for sure).?ÿ But the local ordinance doesn't require owner-occupancy, so it's just something we live with.?ÿ As I mentioned before, the gals have been pretty good neighbors, and even in the pre-Covid days when there were 5 or 6 guys there, we got along fine.?ÿ I even asked a couple of them to help me load and unload some big steel cabinets that I bought, and when I tried to pay them they wouldn't take my money.?ÿ They had some noisy daytime parties (no big deal), and every few months a raucous late-night party, but whenever it started to get out of hand all it took was a visit by one of us to ask that they tone it down, and they were always very accommodating.?ÿ So no real complaints, just a the usual apprehension about living next to a student rental and never knowing when you'll get a houseful of jerks.?ÿ So far so good!
Build it underground and nobody will know it doesn't fit.
He just wants to be able to tell the wife "the surveyor said there's no possible way to build the ADU for your mother..." 😉