PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — In an effort to address its growing population, the City of Salem is providing free, pre-prepared building plans for residents interested in building accessory-dwelling units on their property.
The “ready build” plans are designed to meet Salem’s building code and permit requirements, allowing property owners to save time and money, the city said. Pre-prepared plans are currently offered for accessory-dwelling units smaller than 600 square feet. Although the plans can be downloaded for free, ADU applicants are still required to pay fees associated with the building permit application process.
“You can use the plans with our current building permit submittal processes,” the City of Salem stated in its Oct. 23 announcement. “The ready-build ADU plans lower barriers to building ADUs by providing architectural plans at no additional charge and expediting the building permit process.”
The City of Salem said that it was able to offer the new resource thanks to the City of Eugene, which shared its own pre-prepared ADU designs with Salem for free. Salem property owners can learn if their property is ADU-eligible by following the steps on the city’s website.
“Salem continues to grow, and with that comes a need for more housing,” the City of Salem said. “The city conducted a Housing Needs Analysis in 2014 and has been working since then to promote housing affordability, availability, and choice. With the ready-build ADU plans, Salem is again taking proactive action to provide additional tools for the community to help expedite the permitting process and encourage housing development within the community.”