By Angela Gonzales | Phoenix Business Journal
Phoenix City Council is scheduled to vote in September on whether to allow homeowners to build accessory dwelling units with full kitchens in their backyards.
The city’s planning and zoning department recommended approval of zoning changes to facilitate more housing options in the backyards of existing single-family homes.
The new term accessory dwelling unit, or ADU, would replace the guesthouse term, according to city documents.
The big difference is that these ADUs would have full kitchens and be livable on a full-time basis, said Zander Diamont, co-founder of Minimal Living Concepts, which has built 73 tiny homes across the Valley since its inception in January 2021.
The zoning changes would be a viable option to help ease the housing burden, said Jerod Amzallag, also a co-founder of Minimal Living Concepts.
“It can solve problems for growing families who have a 3% mortgage on their three-bedroom homes,” he said. “To move is not an option for them. This can be a relief for them to expand their property.”
In the past, the city allowed ADUs in a minimal capacity for some circumstances, said Christopher DePerro, team leader of Text Amendments and Special Projects for the Planning & Development Department.
Accessory structures are currently permitted in most residential districts, but the way the current zoning ordinance is written, these structures may not be used as dwelling units — for eating or sleeping, DePerro said.
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