City Council cool to mother-in-law apartment proposal

Published 6:55 am Thursday, December 2, 2010

A proposal to allow detached mother-in-law apartments in Everett backyards went over with the City Council last night like a lead balloon.

For months, city staff have been refining a plan to allow homeowners to build a detached unit in their backyards. In a nutshell, they would only be allowed on lots that had alley access and the owner of the property would need to live either in the main house or in the apartment. There also is a long laundry list of other requirements, including specific design standards that would help the detached units fit in with the neighborhood and to keep lots from being overbuilt.

Planning Director Allan Giffen was back in front of the council last night to brief them on the proposal, which is scheduled for a vote Dec. 15. He pointed out that the state mandates that the city must accommodate and plan for growth. Find background and details here.

Council members Arlan Hatloe, Brenda Stonecipher and Drew Nielsen all expressed concerns about how the infill might affect the character of Everett’s neighborhoods. Hatloe said he wouldn’t like it if he were living in a nice neighborhood and these started springing up on his street. Nielsen said the requirements would likely lead to two-story structures behind houses that would loom over the neighbors’ backyards. Stonecipher and Nielsen usually sit on the opposite side of the fence from Hatloe so that’s not a good sign for this proposal.

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