Accessory living units

[Ord. No. 08-31, 10-7-2009; amended 4-7-2021 by Ord. No. 21-01A]

(a) One ADU per lot is permitted by right under the following circumstances:
- (1) On an owner-occupied property as a reasonable accommodation for family members with disabilities; or
- (2) On a lot with a total lot area of 20,000 square feet or more for which the primary use is residential; or
- (3) Where the proposed ADU is located within the existing footprint of the primary structure or existing accessory attached or detached structure and does not expand the footprint of the structure.
(b) An ADU shall be on the same lot where the principal use is a single-family or multifamily dwelling unit;
(c) The ADU shall provide complete independent living facilities for one or more persons;
(d) The ADU may include up to two bedrooms;
(e) The minimum number of off-street parking spaces required for an ADU is one per bedroom;
(f) The ADU shall comply with all state agency regulations and building code requirements;
(g) The size of the ADU may be no more than 60% of the floor area of the principal dwelling or 900 square feet of floor area for a studio or one-bedroom ADU and 1,200 square feet of floor area for a two-bedroom ADU, whichever is less;
(h) The ADU shall meet all the dimensional requirements of Article 5 of this appendix;
(i) Zoning relief shall not be required for ADU applications proposed within an existing footprint of the primary of accessory structure which is a legal nonconforming structure in order to address the existing dimensional nonconformity, however, a proposed ADU shall not be prohibited for failure to meet existing dimensional nonconformities in a legally nonconforming structure;
(j) The ADU shall not be offered or rented for tourist or transient use or through a hosting platform, as such term is defined in R.I.G.L. § 42-63.1-2.