A Bellingham ADU in the South Hill Neighborhood.
Mon, Nov 16, 2015, 4:30 am Dick Conoboy
Over the past year, various groups (primarily a focus group, the Planning Commission and the Mayor’s Neighborhood Advisory Commission) have met in work groups to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) and the need to update the current ordinance. The last version of the ordinance was passed by the City Council in 1995 but has not been updated since and has largely been ignored, especially the requirement to register such units with the city on a recurring basis. Notably, the city has been complicit in not actively pursuing landlords who are not in compliance except as the result of a complaint. The result is unregistered and likely unpermitted dwelling units that put occupants at risk. For example, the ADU pictured above was condemned several years ago and declared uninhabitable after a long struggle between the tenant and the landlord to effect repairs. […]
noisy waters northwest 