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Tiny Houses, and the <br />Not -So -Tiny Questions They Raise <br />By Donald L. Elliott, FAICP, and Peter Sullivan, AICP <br />Where did they come from—those cute little "cabins -on -wheels" that you see being <br />pulled down the road or sitting on a lot? <br />With wood siding, a pitched roof, gable win- <br />dows ... and even a porch with a railing. All <br />that's missing is the dog in the yard (presum- <br />ably a small dog in a small yard). <br />Tiny houses are the latest vehicle/struc- <br />tures to join the small house movement, and <br />are now trending due to television programs <br />like Tiny House Nation. Many individuals and <br />couples seem proud to say they live a small but <br />sophisticated lifestyle in less than 50o square <br />feet. Often their stated motivation is to declut- <br />ter and live a simpler life—maybe even a life <br />"off the grid." <br />Cuteness aside, tiny houses raise some <br />interesting questions for planners. Questions <br />like... <br />"Is this a house, or a trailer, or ... just <br />what is it?" <br />"Would this qualify as an accessory dwell- <br />ing unit?" <br />"Does this meet the residential building <br />code?" <br />"Where should we allow this to be parked <br />... or occupied ... and for how long?" <br />This article attempts to answer some <br />of those questions for the types of small, <br />trailer -mounted units described above. The <br />sections below review how these units fit <br />into the general U.S. system of land -use <br />control through building codes, zoning ordi <br />nances, subdivision regulations, and private <br />Most localities have no <br />specific provisions in their <br />subdivision or zoning codes <br />to accommodate small trailer - <br />mounted homes outside of <br />recreational vehicle parks. <br />restrictive covenants. In addition to address- <br />ing individual tiny homes, we also address <br />how small communities of tiny homes might <br />be created. <br />WHAT ARE THEY? <br />What are tiny houses? The answer is simpler <br />than you think. They're recreational vehicles <br />(RVs), and a careful read of the manufacturers' <br />websites makes that clear. One manufacturer, <br />Tumbleweed Tiny House Company, states that <br />their product is "an RV like you've never seen <br />before." <br />For planners, this makes things simpler. <br />The question then becomes, "Where do we <br />allow RVs to be occupied?" Traditionally, the <br />answer has been campgrounds (for temporary <br />living) and RV parks (for longer-term living). <br />Most communities typically limit temporary RV <br />occupancy (in a campground or elsewhere) to <br />3o days, and the logic behind this is that RVs <br />are not permanent dwellings. They have elec- <br />tric systems and water tanks and sewage tanks <br />(or composting toilets) that can only operate <br />for a while before they need to be hooked up to <br />support systems or emptied. <br />But this answer doesn't satisfy everyone, <br />especially tiny -house proponents and anyone <br />else interested in living smaller, more simply, <br />and (presumably) more affordably (more on <br />that later). <br />Donald L. Elliott, FAICP, is a director in the Denver office of Clarion Associates, a former chapter president of APA Colorado, and a former chair of the <br />APA Planning and Law Division. As a planner and lawyer he has assisted more than qo North American cities and counties reform and update their <br />zoning, subdivision, housing, and land -use regulations. He has also consulted in Russia, India, Lebanon, and Indonesia, and served as USAID De- <br />mocracy and Governance Advisor in Uganda for two years. Elliott is a member of the Denver Planning Board. <br />Peter Sullivan, AICP, is a senior associate in the Chapel Hill, North Carolina, office of Clarion Associates. His specializations include zoning and <br />comprehensive planning. A Pacific Northwest native, his professional background includes policy and environmental planning and development <br />review. Sullivan is a former officer with Toastmasters International and former member of the University of Washington's Urban Design and Planning <br />Professionals Council. He is currently a correspondent for Planetizen.com and enjoys speaking as academic guest lecturer, webinar host, and <br />conference presenter. Sullivan's project work has been recognized by the Washington State Governor's Office, Puget Sound Regional Council, and <br />the Washington Chapter of APA. <br />ZONINGPRACTICE 11.15 <br />AMERICAN PLANNING ASSOCIATION I page 2 <br />