City Council OKs On-Site Houses

PRAIRIE GROVE — Prairie Grove residents can now have mother-in-law houses and more chickens in their backyards, according to measures approved last week by Prairie Grove City Council.

Council members amended the city’s zoning ordinance to allow non-attached residential dwellings that can be used for family members who need a place to stay. The Council suspended the rules to adopt the amendment during its May 21 meeting.

Larry Oelrich, director of administrative services and public works, recommended allowing residential dwellings in the backyards because more people are caring for older parents or parents are caring for disabled adult children.

Oelrich said he has received several calls from people who would like to build a smaller house for family members on their property.

In one case, a woman approached Oelrich about the possibility of a separate dwelling for a parent. She wanted to put an offer on a house in Prairie Grove but was not going to make an offer unless there was some type of assurance it would be allowed by city ordinance, Oelrich said.

The Council amended the zoning ordinance to include the definition of an accessory building. A rear non-attached residential dwelling will be considered an accessory building.

The residential building will have to meet all the same requirements as an accessory structure as defined in the ordinance but will not have any requirement as far as square footage. The building must be a permanent one on the same property as the main house and must meet current residential building codes.

It can only be occupied by family members or wards under a legal guardianship of the persons residing in the primary structure on the property. The property owner cannot receive any compensation from the person living in the rear dwelling.

Efficiency-type apartments or tiny homes are two examples of an accessory building that could be used for a family member in the backyard.

Other types of accessory structures include storage buildings, hobby shops, below-ground pools and above-ground pools that have some type of permanent structure attached to the pool.

The Council amended the animal ordinance to allow residents to keep more chickens in their backyards or side yards, with the number dependent on the size of the property. Previously, residents could only have two chickens, regardless of the size lot.

The amendment allows only hens, no roosters, and says chickens can be kept in areas zoned single-family residential (R-1, R-1.5, R-1.75). Hens must be a breed that does not fly or must have their wings clipped to prevent flight.

A maximum of four chickens is allowed on lots of 5,000 square feet or smaller. For lots larger than 5,000 square feet, one additional bird is allowed for every 1,250 square feet, up to a maximum of 20 birds.

The ordinance also gives requirements on the coop for the chickens, the location of the coop and the care of the animals.

In other action, the Council, after a lot of discussion, agreed to pay the gas and electric bills for the Chamber building on Buchanan Street. Oelrich, who also is a Chamber board member, said the Chamber board asked him to approach the Council about the city taking on the utility costs for the structure.

The Chamber has not used the building since October because it has been holding meetings and social gatherings at various businesses in the community. Other groups are using the building for fundraising events and when this happens, the Chamber is having to pay for their utility use, Oelrich said.

The city has owned the building for about two years.

One idea for the future, Oelrich said, is to consider tearing down the Chamber building and replacing it with some type of stage structure for community events or building a new public restroom facility. Another idea is to use the current Children’s Library for the Chamber when the library moves into its new location at the former Walmart Express building.

The Council also agreed to give its siren alarms to the community of St. Paul.