OKC residents: City planners want to know what you think about backyard 'granny flats'

Richard Mize, The Oklahoman
·3 min read
Accessory dwelling units, sometimes nicknamed "granny flats," are becoming a more attractive option for grown children looking for ways to care for aging parents.
Accessory dwelling units, sometimes nicknamed "granny flats," are becoming a more attractive option for grown children looking for ways to care for aging parents.

What's your opinion of granny flats? Oklahoma City planners want to know more of what residents think of plans to allow the backyard cottages and guest houses, technically called accessory dwelling units (ADU), in urban OKC.

The small, secondary dwellings are surging in popularity nationwide, Assistant Planning Director Lisa Chronister said. Now, they are allowed only on a case-by-case basis in Oklahoma City.

Planners are considering allowing them in the zoning code, but only in the urban core, "with more ease, guidance and predictability," she said.

RELATED: OKC planners want to open the door to 'granny flats,' accessory dwelling units, but where?

The proposed change would allow attached or detached units to be built conditionally in certain residential zoning districts, generally from NW 63 to SW 59 between Interstate 35 and I-44. It could be extended to other areas of Oklahoma City later as planners continue work to update and replace the city’s zoning code.

Oklahoma City residents are invited to review the draft accessory dwelling ordinance and other information at tinyurl.com/OKCADU and submit feedback by emailing at codeupdate@okc.gov.

ADUs in Oklahoma City would mean more housing, more affordable housing, more social benefits, city planner says

The second floor of the green building is an "accessory dwelling unit," a one-bedroom apartment that is an accessory to the main property, which is the white house to the left and the garage below the unit. This property is located in Midtown, Tallahassee.
The second floor of the green building is an "accessory dwelling unit," a one-bedroom apartment that is an accessory to the main property, which is the white house to the left and the garage below the unit. This property is located in Midtown, Tallahassee.

There are good reasons to allow accessory dwelling units, Chronister said.

“Changing the development code to allow backyard cottages will expand the city’s housing capacity, create affordable housing options, support home ownership and promote social benefits such as caring for an elderly parent,” Chronister said. “We want residents' input on the proposal before we take it to council for approval early this summer.”

Conditions addressing compatibility must be met before a backyard dwelling can be built. These conditions include setting the maximum size and height of the dwelling, allowing only one accessory dwelling per lot, prohibiting rooftop decks and limiting the type of materials.

Public hearings on the ADU ordinance are scheduled before the Oklahoma City Planning Commission at 1:30 p.m. May 9 and 1:30 p.m. June 13 at City Hall. Then, planners will take their recommendation to the Oklahoma City Council for three hearings this summer, dates to be determined.

WATCH: City Council, Planning Commission on YouTube

What some residents of OKC are concerned about regarding ADUs

A West Asheville backyard ADU was being built to become transitional housing for people experiencing homelessness.
A West Asheville backyard ADU was being built to become transitional housing for people experiencing homelessness.

Chronister said some residents' concerns expressed at meetings and community listening sessions include:

  • "We’ve heard from people that they would like to have accessory dwellings so that family members can live on-site yet separately (like college-aged children or older parents)."

  • "Neighbors have shared with us that they are concerned about increased traffic and parking."

  • "They are also concerned that many ADUs would be used for home sharing (in the proposed ordinance, there is not a prohibition on home sharing an ADU and the ADU licensing/approval process would follow the existing established process)."

  • "Folks are also concerned that ADUs would cause a loss in property values; we have no research on this, in fact a recent analysis by the National Association of Realtors shows that in larger cities where ADUs are allowed, properties with ADUs are priced 35% higher than those without."

For more information, contact Marilyn Allen, program planner, at Marilyn.allen@okc.gov.

WATCH: Cracking the Code: Accessory Dwelling Units in the Urban Core (Neighborhood Alliance workshop)

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Senior Business Writer Richard Mize has covered housing, construction, commercial real estate and related topics for the newspaper and Oklahoman.com since 1999. Contact him at rmize@oklahoman.com. Sign up for his weekly newsletter, Real Estate with Richard Mize. You can support Richard's work, and that of his colleagues, by purchasing a digital subscription to The Oklahoman. Right now, you can get 6 months of subscriber-only access for $1.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OKC planners want residents' opinion on accessory dwelling units