Zoning Administrator approves second dwelling unit

The county’s Zoning Administrator approved a Minor Use Permit to build a second dwelling unit on a Gird Road property.

Zoning Administrator Rose Garduno’s decision approved construction of a dwelling unit totaling 1,159 square feet along with a 477 square foot attached two-car garage. The existing single-family residence in the 2200 block of Gird Road owned by Jeffrey and Elizabeth Irvine totals 2,322 square feet, not including a 558 square foot attached garage.

Garduno had continued the hearing to June 12 from its original May 29 date in order to ensure that the second unit has no more than half the living space of the primary unit. A second dwelling unit is limited to 1,200 square feet or 50 percent of the living area of the main dwelling unit, whichever is less.

The Irvines seek the second dwelling unit for their parents. While a second dwelling unit is allowed by a Minor Use Permit, the purpose of such a unit is accessory use subordinate to the main house. “I don’t have a problem with second dwelling units. I think they’re usually a good thing,” Garduno said.

The proposal as presented May 29 called for a 1,022 square foot two-story second dwelling unit along with a 465 square foot attached garage. The architectural drawings included a recreation room which was not included in the total square footage.

The recreation room area, when added to the rest of the square footage, would have exceeded the 50 percent allowable threshold. Section 6156(x)(5) of the county’s Zoning Ordinance stipulates that a garage or carport attached to a second dwelling unit shall not exceed 480 square feet of gross floor space and that no other structures defined by Section 6156(g) shall be attached to a second dwelling unit. Section 6156(g) covers storage buildings, workshops, hobby shops, and other similar non-habitable uses as well as private garages and carports.

“They need to remain an accessory building,” Garduno said.

The accessory unit was redesigned to meet Garduno’s specifications. “They actually had something that didn’t look quite so massive,” Garduno said.

The recreation room was eliminated in the revised plan, and the garage height was lowered to 14 feet. The revised drawings also added a covered porch and an entry porch. The revised square footage figure equates to 49.9 percent of the primary dwelling unit.

“I think everybody was happy with the result on that,” Garduno said.