Now That ForwardDallas Is on The Books, What’s the Future of Accessory Dwelling Units?
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When the vote was taken on Sept. 25 to approve the ForwardDallas 2.0 comprehensive land use plan, a contingent of pro-housing officials and advocates was already teeing up the next big move to address affordable housing: accessory dwelling units.
There was an early push in the ForwardDallas rewrite to allow ADUs “by right” as an affordable housing option. The language was diluted and then eliminated. Although several people brought up ADUs during the September council meeting when the land use plan was approved, it appeared elected officials wanted to get the plan passed and weren’t ready to die on the ADU hill.
An ADU is defined by the American Planning Association as a smaller, independent residential dwelling unit on the same lot as a standalone, detached single-family home. They’re already allowed in Dallas and exist throughout the city but a process is in place so it’s not like you can just slap an extra house in your backyard and call it a day. Neighborhoods can petition the City to create an overlay that would allow ADUs in a particular area or an individual property owner can submit a request to the Dallas Board of Adjustment.
The land use plan passed 11-4 but does not mention ADUs.
“I’m concerned that we’re taking ADUs out, any reference to them,” said District 1 Councilman Chad West. “However, I do feel like in the future under code reform, we’ll get to that, and if we don’t, I think the state is going to come down and make that decision for us at some point. At a minimum, we need to be working on design standards as a city.”
The Case For ADUs
ADUs, sometimes referred to as “granny flats,” are acceptable to many who are concerned about density because they don’t create the same parking and noise challenges as a triplex or quadplex. As long as the height is reasonable and the structure meets design standards, a garage apartment or a small unit in the backyard of a single-family home is not objectionable to many Dallas residents.
A recent Zillow survey showed that Dallasites’ support for ADUs among homeowners increased from 51% in 2019 to 73% this year.
West shared the data in a recent newsletter to supporters.
“As the City moves forward in its policy development, we must prioritize the use of data and trends from all credible sources, and this report is particularly telling of changing hearts and minds toward missing middle housing,” he said.
Several speakers in support of ForwardDallas addressed ADUs and duplexes, triplexes, and townhomes as much-needed “missing middle housing” at the Sept. 25 council meeting.
Anita Nunez, representing the Dallas Housing Coalition, said accessory dwelling units are an important affordable housing option.
“They’re not a bogeyman and they’re not the enemy,” she said. “Please include them in the plan.”
Opposition to ADUs
Small granny flats or mother-in-law suites aren’t always so innocuous, longtime Dallas homeowners say, And the words “by right” have instilled fear among residents of southern Dallas, Councilwoman Carolyn King Arnold said at the late September council meeting.
Ed Zahra, a resident of the Hollywood Hills Santa Monica Conservation District, said the suggestion of ADUs by right two years ago would have ended single-family zoning and destroyed established residential neighborhoods.
Some residents at last month’s council meeting referenced a deep-seated distrust and concern about what could with new development once ForwardDallas was approved.
Melanie Vanlandingham suggested that there be “no distressful changes about ADUs that are already allowed or nonconforming uses.”
“We do need to grow Dallas and we need to grow trust at City Hall,” she said. “We must trust that you will protect single-family neighborhoods. It’s essential to our healthy housing mix. You and Dallas will need them. Grow Dallas in excellent locations outside single-family boundaries. There’s no reason to sacrifice single-family neighborhoods.”
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Trust City Hall, really city hall really only does what will benefit them, there neighborhoods, and there pockets. We need new leaders on the City Hall, there is to many for way to long and nothing changes year after year.. They approve what they want how they want..
There’s a property in Preston Hollow that’s been under construction for 7 plus years, this property has several structures on it, apartments in the structures and it just keeps going and going. They block the streets daily, they trash the areas around the property, the fencing around the property is falling trashed and so on. They have had calls against them over and over to the city about code violations, blocking traffic, cutting stone without water, and many many other things. And not one thing has been done about it, just keeps building and building.. I see places like this everywhere in certain neighborhoods and City Hall looks the other way. I am from Dallas originally and use to live Dallas but now it only works for the very wealthy and the crooks.