Nextstl - Alley Houses: Urban Density in 19th Century St. Louis

https://nextstl.com/2021/01/alley-house ... -st-louis/

Alley houses also make great Airbnbs; I stayed in one in Nashville, and it worked out perfectly.  

Board Bill 43 sponsored by Chair Clark-Hubbard allowing for ADUs in all residential zoning districts will be heard in HUDZ Committee on July 5th. https://www.stlouis-mo.gov/government/c ... BBId=14264

In sort of roundabout way it is a soft coup against single-family residential districts as it allows ADUs by right. But even if it passes the Board still needs more reform of the code.

Out sick and poking around Google Maps today, had a thought: South City has several small parks where a significant amount of park frontage faces the rear end of adjacent houses. Mount Pleasant Park is the most egregious example I could find, but others like Laclede Park, Carnegie Park, and Fremont Park all have significant frontages of garages and dumpsters.

Would love to see a targeted effort to get these houses to add park-facing ADUs. Perhaps even using tax credits in addition to tax breaks. More eyes facing the park would make a huge difference when it comes to crime and the perception of safety. Not to mention it would look better too.

BB hasn't gone anywhere. Maybe it could be a part of a larger zoning reform bill?

iirc it's caught up in the process machine, with City Plan Commision to adopt ADU policy first. Then the City passes the ADU bill as being consistent/authorized with the Plan. At least I think.  

Recently I read this article about Clark Hubbard's ADU bill, which while its moved slow seems likely to pass sometime this year. 

Reading through the bill text, however, leaves me concerned this will actually amount to a nothing burger. Specifically, Section 4D requires that the ADUs:

• Take up no more than 15% of lots 4000 square feet and up (restricting them to being relatively modest 1 bedroom or studio sized units)
• For lot sizes smaller than that, the house and ADU combined can't take up more than 60% of the lot, which would restrict them from many densely populated neighborhoods east of Kingshighway where the existing houses take up much of their narrow lots

There is a grandfather clause where they can be built within the confines of existing accessory structures, possibly but not definitively including garages from my reading but I don't see that many being built because of this unless these rules are amended. 

Not sure I understand the point of this legislation. Is the purpose just to make the permitting process easier?  To expand the range of permitted ADUs? Their permitted uses? Stick it to the NIMBYs? Seems ADUs are already permitted, at least in some neighborhoods, correct? 

For example, we have three ADUs in Holly Hills, all second story structures above an existing garage. The first has been there as long as me, at least since 2015. The second was added around 2023, and the third is currently under construction. 

Unlike the first two, which seem(ed) relatively uncontroversial, the newest is driving some of the locals crazy (at least the ones that spend way too much time online). The difference seems to be that, (a) the first two were built by well-known and respected long-time residents while the newest is owned by a *gasp* outsider, (b) the newest is part of a larger renovation that also includes stripping out much of the historically significant features of the house, (c) the ADU (so far) seems similarly tacky, (d) said house is prominently located on Holly Hills Blvd while the others are on interior streets and less conspicuous and (e) the first two are occupied by family of the owners, while the new one appears to be intended for rent. Allegedly the owner was intending to stay but now will flip the property because some neighbors have said mean things about her taste in home design/decor.

TLDR--ADUs are great in principle but less so in practice, the obstacles aren't just legislative but cultural, and architectural standards for ADUs in historically significant neighborhoods seem like a reasonable compromise. 

The purpose is to make them by-right, meaning you don't have to get a zoning variance.

Yea the setbacks are 3 feet in the bill.  A minimum for these ADU-garage setups is 18'-20' wide. So, a 20-foot lot and 25 lot become Board of Adjustment items. 

I emailed the committee on this. I just don't think they think about this stuff. This bill has been in the works for some three years now? It just seems weak. 

There should be no setbacks. ADUs should be able to go lot-line to lot-line, provide fire-rated wall assemblies, etc. Height should be unlimited. (The bill has height capped at 25' which threatens several truss types from working here as well). 

dylank wrote: ↑

Aug 06, 2025

Yea the setbacks are 3 feet in the bill.  A minimum for these ADU-garage setups is 18'-20' wide. So, a 20-foot lot and 25 lot become Board of Adjustment items. 

I emailed the committee on this. I just don't think they think about this stuff. This bill has been in the works for some three years now? It just seems weak. 

There should be no setbacks. ADUs should be able to go lot-line to lot-line, provide fire-rated wall assemblies, etc. Height should be unlimited. (The bill has height capped at 25' which threatens several truss types from working here as well). 

You cannot go lot line to lot line because of maintenance and roof overhangs, you have no rights to your neighbors property in order to do work on the side of your building

Yes, you can via board of adjustment. so long as you have a 1 or 2-hr fire rated wall. Doesn't work in every case obviously. But to your point, you could do an 18" setback at the minimum. Creates a 3' path between ADUs in the case that they start popping up everywhere. 

dylank wrote: ↑

Aug 06, 2025

Yes, you can via board of adjustment. so long as you have a 1 or 2-hr fire rated wall. Doesn't work in every case obviously. But to your point, you could do an 18" setback at the minimum. Creates a 3' path between ADUs in the case that they start popping up everywhere. 

Right, I’ve had a few cases in front of me when I was on Board of Adjustment where one neighbor signs off and the other doesn’t

Stl PR - Mayor signs bill easing requirements on ‘mother-in-law suites’ as housing push continues


https://www.stlpr.org/economy-business/ ... es-housing