Granny units buoyed

With the intent of encouraging housing development in the wake of the Camp Fire, the Chico City Council on Tuesday (Feb. 5) waived regulations requiring new sidewalks or sidewalk improvements for residents intending to build accessory dwelling units (ADUs).

Sidewalks will be required if the unit is more than 1,000 square feet. The council also waived a requirement to connect sidewalks for any ADU if sidewalks do not already exist on both sides of the parcel.

After gathering public input over the course of several council meetings, city staff found this to be a significant financial barrier to ADU production. Deputy Community Development Director Brendan Vieg said that, for a typical single-family residence, the cost savings would be approximately $1,750.