Laurel Park property owners who have chosen to build accessory dwelling units have run into some difficulties with the city’s building department. They have been denied the right to put kitchens in the accessory units unless they pay impact fees of thousands of dollars.

As defined in the city zoning code an accessory dwelling unit is “A dwelling unit, for use as a complete independent living facility, located on the same zoning lot as a detached single-family or attached single-family dwelling. The second unit is created auxiliary to, and is always smaller than the detached single-family or attached single-family dwelling.”  Accessory dwelling units include garage apartments, granny flats or a separate mother-in-law suites.

Laurel Park’s RSM9 zoning allows for single-family homes to have an accessory dwelling unit on the same lot.  This is unique to RSM9 zoning and Laurel Park, and was created as an incentive to build additional housing units in the neighborhood.  The LPNA Board felt that the imposition of an impact fee would be a disincentive for construction of accessory dwelling units and sought clarification from the building department. 

Fortunately, the building department recently confirmed in writing that an impact fee would not be imposed on Laurel Park property owners seeking to build or add an accessory dwelling unit to their property.  Even accessory dwelling units with kitchens are exempt from impact fees.  Should you encounter difficulty in the future with the building department on this issue, please contact LPNA.  Thanks to Board Member Deb Dart for her efforts to resolve this problem.

Chris Jaensch, Laurel Park News, August 2006