Planning Commission redrafts accessory building ordinance

Further discussion took place at the City of Sidney Planning Commission meeting Tuesday night regarding an ordinance on accessory buildings built within Sidney.

City of Sidney Interim Chief Building Official Zoning Administrator Ben Dayton and City of Sidney Attorney J. Leef presented the commissioners with a redrafted version of the requirements.

It is proposed that homeowners are allowed to build an accessory building beside their house and it is not restricted to only being built behind the residence. However an accessory building is still not allowed to be in front of the main building.

Sidney City Council members had previously found problems with the wordage of “detached garage” and “detached accessory building.” Finding that both terms mean the same type of building, commission members decided that a detached garage would be stricken-out and the term “garage” would only apply to an attached garage. But accessory buildings (attached and detached) would be the primary usage throughout the policies to lessen confusion.

The commissioners also decided to strikeout the idea that an attached accessory building needs to be connected by 50 percent of a common wall and changed it to just having to be connected by a common wall without a percentage requirement.

“Any accessory building located within a residential zone, with exception of R1A and AR zones, shall not exceed 1,200 square feet or the square footage equal to the ground floor, which ever is smaller,” said Leef.

The amount of total accessory building ground coverage cannot be more than 40 percent of the total size of the lot, she said.

The accessory building also must have similar looking building materials as the house as well.

“In residential zones accessory buildings greater than 120 square feet in area as measured at the maximum exterior wall dimension shall be similar in design, exterior residential materials and roof pitch to the principle building and or surrounding residential neighborhood,” said Dayton.

The attached accessory buildings must also have the same foundation as the house.

Sidney City Council members will receive the approved changes at their meeting tonight at 6:30 p.m. in City Hall and discuss the matter again among themselves.