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Accessory Dwelling Units: The Appeal of Living Small
On a quiet street next to an alley in South Minneapolis a small two-story square gray modernist home and eye-popping orange window trim represent a new style of housing that has emerged in dense urban neighborhoods.
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What is an ADU?
Legally called an “accessory dwelling unit,” or ADU, the home is a third the size of a typical new home in the city. ADUs – often called “second suites” -- are generally a few hundred square feet and built as an addition to a home or a separate standalone structure. Homeowners can cordon off a section of their existing homes to create ADUs, too, with city approval.
On a home tour earlier, this year the 650-square-foot ADU attracted more than 1,200 visitors who discovered what living small looks like in the Longfellow neighborhood of the city. Many expressed an interest in building one on their property and asked him plenty of questions, he said.
The idea of having a separate residence within a home or on city property is hardly new. They went by many other names in the “old” days, among them laneway houses, granny flats, in-law units, and secondary units. Today planners dub them ADUs, and they have become prevalent in Portland, Los Angeles, Seattle, Austin, and other growing cities.
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City ordinances differ, but in general, homeowners can only build ADUs on their property, and they must retain ownership of them. If they sell their existing home, the ADU will be part of the sale.
According to statistics provided by the city, Minneapolis embraced ADUs with an ordinance in 2014, approving 130 as of August 2018. Some of those ADUs existed and were grandfathered in under the new ordinance. The city reports 112 ADUs have been completed or under construction, with the following breakdown—10 attached, 49 detached, and 71 internal.
St. Paul, on the other hand, first permitted ADUs in just one neighborhood and saw just one built. After a long debate among neighborhoods, the city council in October 2018 expanded ADUs to the entire city.
Iverson knows something about zoning problems. After the city rejected his initial plan, he spent more than $3,000 on paperwork to get the ADU approved. No neighbors have ever complained, he said, and now, any of them could build their own ADUs without the expensive paperwork.
Key to making the ADU a reality is the required ownership of the main property. Iverson owns and rents the 1922 duplex on the street in front of the ADU. Part of the issue with the city, he said, was zoning issues involving the duplex, the only one on his block.
The door leads to a staircase to the second, wide-open area serving as the main living area. It has a kitchen against a wall, a kitchen table, and a living room section with a couch. It’s enough room for Iverson, who is single, to entertain a few guests.
Outside the living area, a sliding door opens to a large deck built of ipe lumber. The deck in the warm weather months acts as a second room for lounging, parties, and grilling. On top, the deck offers a bird’s eye view of the neighborhood and the yard, while underneath, it serves as a trellis.
Frank Jossi
Based in St. Paul, Frank Jossi is a journalist, editor and content strategist. He covers clean energy in Minnesota for Midwest Energy News and writes frequently for Finance & Commerce. His work has appeared in more than 70 local, national and international publications.
