A newly appointed special working group will focus on including Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) in the proposed new zoning regulations for Billings and Yellowstone County. The existing code does not currently recognize this classic design feature of many Mid-Century and First Neighborhood homes. An ADU was typically included as a bonus feature – a place where the young adult children or an aging parent or parents could live mostly independent of the main household.
The mission of the special working group is to help define where and how ADUs should be regulated in the city and county. The group will make recommendations back to the Urban Issues and County Issues working groups by mid-July including proposed regulations for existing ADUs, as an expansion to residential homes or in new construction. Some of the issues to be resolved include how large an ADU may be, interactions with private covenants, whether occupancy by the property owner will be required and any special permitting procedures.
