Single-family household zoning changes in the works
The Idaho Falls Planing and Zoning Commission is making changes to the definition of a single-family household.
The commission held a meeting Tuesday evening, which brought out several people; however, the commission says those in attendance were confused about what the change being proposed is. Many who attended the meeting were there to discuss short-term rentals like Airbnb, but the item on the agenda was about the definition of a single-family household and what a household is.
In the proposal approved by the commission, the definition for a family would be eliminated and replaced with “see household.” The commission would require that “only one (1) of the following groups of individuals shall together occupy a dwelling unit at any time.”
The groups mentioned in the definition of a household are broken into three categories. The first category would allow any number of people to live in a single-family household as long as they are related by blood, marriage, legal adoption or legally authorized custodial relationship.
A second classification of household would allow a family, as defined above, to live in a home with one unrelated adult.
Under the new guidelines proposed by the commission, a third classification would be created to deal with a group of unrelated adults who wish to live in a home together. Under this definition, no more than three unrelated adults could live in the same home.
The changes proposed by the commission comes after several complaints about “frat-house style living.”
“We have had a lot of concerns raised about this. In particular, people are concerned about having related people along with two unrelated individuals living with them. And they are concerned about allowing four unrelated individuals to live together,” said Brad Cramer, Idaho Falls’ community development services director. “The comments we have heard feel like that is too many, it would bring too much traffic, too much insecurity to a neighborhood.”
Also under the new proposal, the commission would combine the definition of a boarding house, rooming house and lodging house.
The City Council won’t make any decision until sometime after the first of the year. The new rules wouldn’t impact multifamily dwellings like apartments.
The issue of short-term rentals, like Airbnb, will be taken up by the Planning and Zoning Commission sometime in the next few months.
