The City of East Wenatchee is moving forward on a joint effort with Wenatchee to promote housing opportunities.  

The city has agreed to partner with Wenatchee to hire an architectural firm to come up with designs for small houses known as Accessory Dwelling Units - or ADU's.  

East Wenatchee Community Development Director Curtis Lillquist says the ADU's will be built on the same lot as single-family homes, and will offer opportunities for property owners.  

“If they're interested in maybe adding an Accessory Dwelling Unit, whether it be for an elderly family member, or they're looking to make some money on the side renting it out, or whatever, this will make it a little easier for our citizens," said Lillquist.  

The cities are planning to offer five different pre-approved small home plans that would have a streamlined process for property owner to obtain permits.  

Lillquist says the process will offer convenience to property owners considering an ADU.  

“If somebody is thinking about, ‘Maybe, do I want to do this, do I want to go through the effort’, a little bit of that effort is removed because there’s a plan set that they can already pick up and run with that is already pre-approved,” Lillquist said.  

East Wenatchee has budgeted $25,000 and Wenatchee has budgeted $80,000 for hiring an architectural firm to provide design services, construction plans and renderings for ADU's that would range in size between 400 square feet and 1,200 square feet. 

Each size would have different options for exterior features such porches, roof types and garages.  

The designs would include permit ready construction drawings and renderings showing what the structure would look like. 

Building officials from each city will then review and pre-approve the plans, which would not include interior features. 

According to the East Wenatchee website, the goal of the program is to promote the development of more accessory dwelling units and cottages within the cities.  

The public would be able to look over designs and renderings of pre-approved ADU's. 

Since only a site plan review would be necessary in the process, time spent to obtain a permit would be cut to a minimum. 

Lillquist says property owners could still supply their own plans for cottages and ADU's through traditional procedures. 

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