The County’s Department of Planning and Development Services announced Tiny Homes on Wheels could fit under the County’s current Zoning Ordinance that sets building standards in unincorporated areas like Mt. Helix. This could be a huge plus for someone wanting to build an Accessory Dwelling Units (ADU) to house family but the price is too steep.
Tiny Homes on Wheels are built like regular houses, only they’re a fraction of the size of a standard home. Unlike ADUs that are built on existing properties, tiny homes like these, even though they are built to be stationary, can be towed to a location.
Per the County guidelines, Tiny Homes:
- Must be used for residential dwelling and not as hotels, boarding and lodging houses.
- Cannot be larger than 430 square-feet, measuring from the inside face of their walls, and no taller than one-story.
- Cannot have slide or pop-out features that increase the square footage of their living space.
- Must adhere to the County Zoning Ordinance’s allowable density — the number of homes allowed on a single lot.
- Must include permanent provisions for living, sleeping, eating, cooking and sanitation, and have only one kitchen.
- Shall be connected to electric, water and sewer utilities and receive the required building permits.
- Must meet fire-safety regulations: be made with non-combustible exteriors including stucco, masonry, cement fiber board, or metal; be built with dual-glazed windows, Class A roofs.
- Must include residential fire sprinkler systems, unless they’re being used as Accessible Dwelling Units rather than standalone homes and qualify for the ADU exemption.
For more information go to the County article on the new guidance.
Mortgage Rates Drop!
