A Westport ADU, completed in 2023 - Photo John Rountree Architects
A rendering of an ADU, currently under construction in Westport – Photo John Rountree Architects

by Gretchen Webster

The Planning and Zoning Commission approved on Monday text amendment 853 to regulate accessory dwelling units (ADUs). These living spaces have become increasingly popular in Westport since they were introduced in 2021, according to Planning and Zoning Director Michelle Perillie. The newly approved text amendment requires a minimum distance of 10 feet between the main residence and the ADU.

Approximately 45 permits for free standing, or detached, accessory units including studios, garages or pool houses converted into living spaces, have been issued by the P&Z since 2021, Perillie said on Tuesday. And many ADUs are newly built structures. There are also approximately 200 accessory apartments in Westport, which are defined as units within Westport houses and not separate buildings, she said.

Why ADUs?

Accessory dwelling units were developed as one way to reduce the cost of housing in Westport for both residents with units on their property who rent them out to tenants, and for the tenants. When the new regulations were adopted, the P&Z and Board of Selectwomen also viewed the units as an opportunity for older residents to remain on their property with the choice of moving to the smaller accessory building, or renting it out. Other families built or converted outbuildings into accessory units for adult children or older relatives. Unlike accessory apartments within homes, accessory units allow for residents more privacy and independence.

The difference between accessory apartments and accessory dwelling units is location, Perillie explained. Accessory apartments are either within the walls of the house or attached to the house. ADUs are located in a separate building. 

The newly approved text amendment governing ADUs requires a minimum distance of 10 feet between the main residence and the accessory dwelling unit. The two units are governed by different regulations, Perillie said. 

Why 10 feet?

The minimum 10-foot separation between the house and ADU helps preserve the character of a neighborhood and “serves to mitigate visual bulk and reduce massing impacts on the lot, preserving neighborhood scale,” she said when announcing the June 30 hearing on the new text amendment. The distance between the main building and the accessory unit also reduces the risk of fire spreading between the buildings, according to the town’s building code. 

Although internal accessory apartments have been allowed in Westport since 1972, they were limited to two of the three major “water features”–sinks, toilet and showers–that define a complete apartment. This made it difficult for Westporters to create complete apartments; the regulation was changed in 2021, when the town began allowing ADUs.

For more information on regulations governing ADUs, the Planning and Zoning Department has an information packet, “Accessory Dwelling Units -FAQs, What are the basics?”

Westport Journal’s recent articles on the P&Z Commission

Gretchen Webster

Gretchen Webster, a Fairfield County journalist for many years, has reported for the daily Greenwich Time and Norwalk Hour, the weekly Westport News, Fairfield Citizen and Weston Forum. She was editor of the Fairfield Minuteman for ten years. She has won numerous journalism awards over the years, and taught journalism at New York University and Southern Connecticut State University.

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