Accessory Dwelling Units
Summary
Sheridan's code doesn't define ADUs and currently bars renting a detached unit to anyone outside the family or household staff — a real constraint as the city looks for housing tools. Staff floated options from a simple definition change to allowing detached ADU rentals with size, setback and design standards, and plan to fold the issue into the joint land use plan update this summer. Past public input was hostile, so expect outreach before anything changes.
At a glance
- Total mentions
- 4
- Last 30 days
- 1
Discussed at 1 meeting in the last 60 days; most recently Oct 12, 2026.
Impact analysis
No direct cost to taxpayers now; the discussion is groundwork for future code changes tied to housing supply.
Homeowners with space to build a granny flat, multigenerational families, and renters seeking smaller, cheaper units.
Some neighborhood residents who previously opposed ADUs over parking, renters and neighborhood character concerns.
Mentions & discussions (4)
City Council (Study) — October 12, 2026
Council members want lower-income housing mixed into market-rate subdivisions rather than clustered separately, and some want to explore city incentives for developers. The 2021 Gruen housing study showed the city short of its 10-year housing target, though officials said progress has improved.
City Council (Regular) — June 1, 2026
Sheridan's code doesn't define ADUs and currently bars renting a detached unit to anyone outside the family or household staff — a real constraint as the city looks for housing tools. Staff floated options from a simple definition change to allowing detached ADU rentals with size, setback and design standards, and plan to fold the issue into the joint land use plan update this summer. Past public input was hostile, so expect outreach before anything changes.
City Council (Regular) — March 16, 2026
Permits are up 26% over last year (665 vs. 527), likely thanks to the mild winter. The 103-unit Sage Flats apartment complex off Fifth Street is moving dirt, and Seven Brews Coffee opens within a month — signs of a busy construction season ahead.
City Council (Study) — March 9, 2026
A citizen's inquiries prompted a council member to ask that accessory dwelling units — backyard or in-home secondary housing — come back for discussion, arguing housing shortages may have changed public attitudes since the idea was rejected years ago.
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