Mayor Johnson determined to push for Council vote on 'granny flats' measure next week

Mayor Brandon Johnson may or may not have the votes to give single-family homeowners carte blanche to turn their attics, basements, garages and coach houses into revenue-generating “granny flats,” but he’s determined to try, setting the stage for a showdown vote at next week’s City Council meeting.

Senior mayoral advisor Jason Lee said Monday it's time to bring to a head — in a way that maximizes the number of affordable units created — the yearlong debate aimed at determining whether to legalize accessory dwelling units citywide “by right,” or require a special use permit for those added residential units.

"If people have the opportunity to build out an accessory dwelling unit, they should be able to do it. If they have to go through a special use, the average person may struggle to get through that process. So you'll end up significantly reducing the number of ADUs that are created," Lee told the Sun-Times.

“There are ... representatives of certain communities who have expressed real concerns about ... not having some ability to control the proliferation of ADUs. While we understand those concerns, we think we should always err on the side of more housing. ... If we increase the supply of housing, we're going to lower the cost, and ADUs is one way to do it with the land we already have."

Ald. Bennett Lawson, (44th), spent more than a year trying to forge a compromise while serving as acting chairman of the City Council’s Zoning Committee.

During that time, Lawson tried to find common ground on the volatile issue of accessory dwelling units that pitted bungalow belt Council members against colleagues whose wards have more density.

Lawson’s version would require a special use permit in areas with R-1 and R-2 zoning designations dominated by bungalows and other single-family homes.

Lee acknowledged that Lawson “wants to put something forward that can pass” and has argued that Johnson stands a “better chance of pulling together a coalition by creating special use exemptions in certain areas" and requiring a special use permit from the Zoning Board of Appeals.

But Lee said other Council members believe it is “at least worth pursuing a by-right ordinance to see if the votes are there” for the strongest possible version.

“There’s strong momentum just to say, 'Can we at least put this forward and see whether or not we can build a coalition around it?’“ Lee said. “Some more calls need to be made to see how far off or close you are to [26 votes and] how realistic it is. So, I wouldn’t say a final decision has been made on that. But there is appetite to test it."

Southwest Side Ald. Marty Quinn (13th) reiterated his long-standing argument that allowing accessory dwelling units citywide “by right” would destroy the character of Chicago’s bungalow belt and undermine the unwritten rule known as aldermanic prerogative.

Asked Monday whether Johnson has the votes, Quinn said, “It’ll be close.”

“It’s an all-out attack by the mayor’s office on the bungalow belt. And I don’t know how any alder who represents single-family dwellings votes in favor of this proposal because of quality of life — whether it’s parking, garbage or noise,” Quinn said.

“In my case, I’m fighting for a new police district. We have 250,000 residents who live in our police district. Now we’re going to be adding more residents without necessary police protection? It’s an all-out attack on the bungalow belt, in essence trying to remove single-family zoning classification.”

Johnson said the only way to resolve the crisis that has left Chicago 120,000 units short of the affordable housing units it needs is to authorize “accessory dwelling units” to be built citywide by right, without allowing the unwritten rule known as aldermanic prerogative to give the local Council member veto power by requiring a special use permit from the Zoning Board of Appeals.

Quinn disagreed.

“He’s looking to check a box on his political agenda at the backbone of the city of Chicago’s expense,” Quinn said.

“He talks about the 'soul of Chicago.’ I would say the bungalow belt is the backbone of the city. And that is under attack by the current administration. What’s peoples' motivation to stay here when the quality of life is going to be compromised because the mayor is looking to check a box on a political agenda?”

Lawson said he understands why Johnson is determined to force a vote on an accessory dwelling unit ordinance at next week’s Council meeting, the last before the August recess.

“Time is tight. If we don’t hear it in Zoning Committee, we have Council. If we don’t do it by then, we’re into budget [season] and who knows what?” Lawson said.