People in the city of Madison will have increased access to another housing option after a unanimous vote from the city’s Common Council on Tuesday night. Alders voted to change the city’s zoning code to allow accessory dwelling units (ADUs) to be built on a lot that already contains a building with up to eight dwelling units, while also eliminating the requirement that the property owner lives on the property.
Previously, the city’s zoning code only allowed ADUs to be built on an owner-occupied single-family property citywide, or on an owner-occupied single- or two-family property in the city’s transit oriented development overlay district.
The goal of the change is to allow for modest increases in housing density while creating more housing options to address the “missing middle” in Madison — the gap in housing options between single-family homes and large apartment buildings.
Under the city’s zoning code, ADUs can either be attached as an additional living space within an existing building — like a garage, attic, or basement — or detached as a separate structure on the same lot. Both attached and detached ADUs are limited to 900 square feet and no more than two bedrooms.
The number of Madison’s current ADUs is not high — a total of 32 have been built or are under construction since 2012 — but these changes are another piece of the puzzle in creating more housing options in the city.
