ADUs in R1 Zoning
The following is from a letter to the editor of the Sheridan Press in the summer of 2021.
For context, the City of Sheridan had three listening sessions and the idea of ADU’s was poorly received by some of the attendees. This was published at that time.
Dear editor, this letter is in response to the article covering the first community meeting looking at a proposed ordinance for ADUs.
I think the ADUs in R1 zoning would be great for our community. There can be no denial that there is a housing shortage when our hospital can’t hire the staff they need because there is nowhere for them to live. We have a problem and we have to at least try something.
The more I hear the concerns and negative comments regarding the ADUs I can’t help but remember a story I read a couple years ago about a community in California. This community was struggling with housing in a similar way that we are. Their school district was struggling to get teachers due to a combination of not having enough affordable housing and not being able to pay the teachers enough to cover the cost of living. Teachers were resorting to commuting an hour to two hours one way so they didn’t have to live in their cars.
The school district decided the best remedy to their problem was to build their own housing for the teachers and then the teachers could have more opportunities to participate in the community that their students were in. When the school district went to the town officials to get permits approved, the parents of the students threw a fit citing increased traffic, crime, etc. The teachers were devastated to hear that while they were good enough to teach the children of this community, they were not good enough to live in the same town as their students.
Who are the people who could benefit from living in ADUs? They are the grandparents that aren't quite ready to live in a nursing home but still need some help with everyday things. Or the teacher who’s doing their best to make ends meet and pay off student loans. Accessory dwelling units could even benefit the nurse who just wants to go home to a quiet house instead of a motel room with paper-thin walls.
Keep in mind that when we say things like “not in my back yard” or that trying something that could improve our housing situation is a bad idea, someone is hearing that because they don’t qualify to buy a $250,000 house they don’t belong in Sheridan. That’s not true. I don’t want that to be Sheridan. I’m calling you to think about your future, and your family’s future, and take on the challenge to support the ADU proposal to get our town’s housing to a better place.
