Missoula expands ADU sizes – Missoulian

The council’s changes to city code, which regulates building and other public utilities in Missoula, included increasing the size of accessory dwelling units, while also making alterations required by the state Legislature.

Accessory dwelling units, or ADUs, are secondary homes on a single lot. The 2023 state Legislature passed a law requiring cities to allow ADUs across all zoning categories. 

The short-term changes come as the city is nearing the end of a multi-year process to update its code plan citywide. The process has been based on Missoula’s 2015 Growth Plan.

Council voted to increase the maximum size allowed for ADUs from 1,000 square feet to 1,200 square feet, a proposal brough by Ward 3 Councilor Daniel Carlino. 

The city has touted ADUs as a way to better densify developed neighborhoods and free up space for affordable housing, and increasing the maximum size allowed should make them easier to approve.

The ADU codes represent one of the hundreds of minute changes made during the council meeting Monday, although some votes extended temporary code. 

Some of the most impactful changes include lessening parking requirements for developers, easing the process on mixed-use development and vertical buildings, and simplifying mobile home rules.

Much of the code passed so far could still be adjusted through the longer-term code update process, which should be in completed by 2025.

John Engen Building

The council also voted unanimously to use up to $857,000 in potential grant money from the State-Local Infrastructure Partnership Act to repair the John Engen Building.

The city would then pay for the remaining 25% of the project as a requirement of the legislation.

The process is unique, said Eric Hallstrom, chief operations officer for the City of Missoula, as grants usually do not need council approval. But this special legislation would guarantee the city money, as long as it follows guidelines by the state and federal department of commerce. 

“There’s an extreme urgency to need to return the facility to service,” Hallstrom said, citing space needs. “The cost of inaction is high, space needs are not going away, and significant facility costs await us in the future regardless of the path.”

The city and the county bought the building from the federal government in 2023, naming the building after late mayor John Engen. The building is massive, stretching 125,000 square feet. 

Hallstrom said it needs a lot of work before it can be used fully, including asbestos abatement and the removal of lead-based paint. 

The structure, known as the Engen Building, was the top pick for the money, but other projects, like an expansion to the Missoula City-County animal shelter, were also considered.

The grant can’t be used for firefighting equipment, housing or housing trust funds or labor, Hallstrom said. The funding must instead be used to fix existing infrastructure. 

John Adams, the project manager for the Engen Building, said the city and county decided to purchase the site because it would be an ideal central location for city and county government.

“A big part of why the council elected to acquire the building, was we knew we were going to have to spend money on city facilities,” Adams said. “It made a heck of a lot more sense to dedicate that funding to a forever building that we treasure.”

Ward 6 Councilor Vasecka questioned whether the city would have to cover any gaps in funding if the grant money was not enough. Hallstrom said that might be possible, but the city could use alternate revenue funds like Brownfields money, which is used for cleanup processes.

Phase one of the project should start next year.