HOW ZONING WORKS .. TANDEM HOUSE

Like accessory dwelling units, tandem houses are now permitted by the zoning code. Essentially, a tandem house is a second home on the same property with the first. Only eight zones in the city will permit this type of construction. You can rent the rear tandem house but you can’t sell it. To learn more, see page 5.3-9 in the zoning code.

1. Tandem houses are allowed a height of 2 ½ stories or 30’ in the front 65% and 24’ in the rear 35%. The bulk plane is the same as the urban house with a vertical leg in the front 65% of 17’ and a vertical leg in the rear 35% of 10’.
2. The permissible zones for tandem houses are U-SU-A2, B2, & C2 but only on corner lots. Other permissible zones include U-TU-B, B2, & C, and U-RH-2.5 & 3A.
3. Zone minimum sizes vary from 3,000 sf to 5,500 sf.
4. Minimum lot widths vary from 25’ to 50’.
5. The front setback is the same as the urban house.
6. Side interior setbacks are 3’ for lots <30’, 5’ for lots 31’ to 74’, and 5’/15’ for lots >75’.
7. The rear setback for the primary structure is 50% of lot depth
8. The rear setback for the secondary structure is 5’ for all lot widths.
9. Required separation between structures is 6’.
10. Coverage is the same for an urban house, 50% on lots <30’ and 37.5% on all others.
11. Each structure has a maximum width of 36’ and a maximum length of 42’.

Please let me know if you have any questions regarding the above.

Steve Culbertson
Landmarkk