ADUs (Accessory Dwelling Units) and 'Granny Flats' may be in motion again in Wheat Ridge. I'm excited and am looking forward to the first meeting, on April 12. They are seeking discussion and I hope others will join me.
There is a clear issue around affordable housing in metro-Denver. Our City is growing whether we like it or not. This may be one small way that we can help, without negatively impacting the character of our community, assuming its done well.
This is a topic that has been discussed a lotin my family. My parents moved to Texas18 years ago to take care of her parents. They sold their $180,000 Lakewood townhome when they moved. Their Texashome hasn't gone up in value and now they're priced out of coming back to Denver. I super-love having them come to visit, but I'm not so sure I want to share a house with them long-term. I live in a spacious '61 Wheat Ridge ranch on a big lot. My dad is 76 and we'll probably need to help each other out eventually. The idea of a granny flat, especially for a house on a big lot, seems like a great option for us.
I see many uses for such a additional dwelling unit / accessory structure. As a Realtor [and an observant person] I see them working very well as:
- A studio / workspace for someone who works from home. Its clear that having a commute (i.e., not having your workspace totally integrated into your main living spaces) is good for your mental health. A 30-second walking commute could be amazing
- For aging parents, as in my case
- For a friend or relative that needs some additional help
- For an adult child that is "slow to launch or is a total failure to launch" or one who's chosen to go back to school
- For a Man-Cave or Jane-Zone/Ladies-Lounge. As a Realtor, I see many instances when a relationship improves as people move to a larger or better-designed home that allows some separation of living spaces
- There may be many more applications.
Within the City and County of Denver, in some zone districts, these ADUs are getting built now. When done right, they're amazing. I have a client who lives in one that his parents built.
Obviously, we need to have some rules. If I understand correctly, we can help guide that in WR.
From a resale perspective, they are not yet ideal, because appraisers don't know how to value them. Maybe we can help with that? I helped on a guideline that was written for appraisers for solar and that made a difference in causing solar to finally have a real value in the eyes of an appraiser, which ultimately is leading to more people getting solar.
Lets make sure we get a group of progressive-minded Wheat Ridgeresidentsto show-up.
Here is more information from the Denver Post:http://www.denverpost.com/2016/01/12/granny-cottages-growing-in-denver-after-2010-city-zoning-change/
Note from Editor: Although we usually limit posts on our Live Urban Blog to agents from our own company, we felt itwas an important enough topic to share this thoughtful article from our colleague Steve Kinney with Re/Max Professionals - City Properties.
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