I live in Edmonds and my property is zoned RS-8. I have a couple of questions. I have a shop that is about 330 square feet and it is actually classified as a garage. I would like to convert it into a Mother In-Law Apartment. It has gas and and electricity already. I am wondering if the zoning in Edmonds will allow me to convert it into a cottage with added space.? I have an attached 2 car garage already in place. Do I need to have the plans drawn before I get a permit? Thanks.
The Answer
The technical term for “mother-in-law apartment” in the City of Edmonds is Accessory Dwelling Unit or ADU for short. ADUs are permitted in single family zones in the City of Edmonds under very specific conditions. Earlier this month I answered a similar question about adding an ADU to a basement in the City of Seattle. You will see that each city has widely different answers to the same question.
ADU in Edmonds requires a Conditional Use Permit
ADUs in Edmonds are not permitted outright but require a special land use permit called a Conditional Use Permit (CUP). This is a permit that is over and above a typical building permit. A CUP is a discretionary decision made by city staff, it requires posting of the property and notification of the neighbors. That posting and notification process includes a 2 week period where interested parties (typically your neighbors) can submit written comments expressing their support or concerns. Once a decision is made that decision can be appealed to the hearing examiner by anyone.
Conditions for approval of ADU in Edmonds
• Only 1 ADU per lot
• Can be no more than 800 square feet
• Can be no more than 40% of the principal dwelling unit’s floor area
• Must be within or ATTACHED to the principal dwelling unit
• Must maintain single family appearance & character
• Must maintain architectural style of the main structure
• Entrance should be at side or rear (not visible from the street)
• 3 parking spaces are required
• Either principal dwelling unit or ADU must be owner occupied at least 6 months per year
• The owner may not rent their unit when they are away
• Maximum number of occupants between both units is 5 – I have no idea how they enforce this
• The ADU must comply with the current version of the International Residential Code (IRC).
The Conditional Use Permit for the ADU can automatically expire
• If the ADU is substantially altered
• If there are no longer the 3 required parking stalls
• If the owner ceases to reside in one of the units
The City of Edmonds has a handout which completely describes the process and conditions for ADU approval. You can find that handout here.
As an Edmonds Architect I’ve designed a number of homes around town but I’ve never been through this specific approval process. From my experience with other land use processes in Edmonds the city will be very particular about application of the rules. You’ll need to expect to follow them to the letter.
Does your existing shop meet the rules?
That’s impossible for me to say without looking at it. If it’s built using similar materials to the house then you’re probably fine. If it’s a metal building (often used for shops) then it won’t work. One other problem is that it’s currently not attached to the main house. If it’s relatively close to the house then you could create an attachment between the 2. Otherwise there doesn’t appear to be any mechanism for approving a detached ADU.
Do you need an Architect for this project?
You definitely need someone to develop a set of plans for the proposal and to guide the application through the process at the city. A CUP in the City of Edmonds is not for the faint of heart, or for folks without land use permit experience. You could try to do it yourself but you’d likely find it a long, drawn out and frustrating experience.
One Comment
I live in Fircrest, WA (in Tacoma area) and would like to covert my large basement into a mother-in-law apartment. I’ve looked but can’t figure out what the regulations are there. What are the regulations there for the approval of an ADU? Thanks