The Hailey City Council on Monday authorized accessory dwelling units to be built atop businesses in the southern portion of the Airport West commercial park in Hailey.
Accessory dwelling units are already allowed in a portion of Airport West to the north.
Councilwoman Martha Burke supported the inclusion of residential units in Airport West last year, saying it was essentially "workforce housing."
Property owners in the commercial business park zoned "SCl-industrial," west of Friedman Memorial Airport, will now have the option of developing units attached to buildings to provide living quarters. The dwelling units cannot be sold separately from the businesses attached to them, nor can the units conflict in any way with the businesses below them.
Previously, no residential uses of any kind were allowed in the SCl-industrial zone. The units, if and when they are built, cannot be used as rental housing for the general public.
"The intention is that the units be used by business owners and employees," said Matt Engel, manager of the Airport West owners association, in an interview.
Engel said changes to the commercial park's covenants, codes and restrictions also had to change in order to move forward with the authorization.
Engel was instructed by the City Council almost two years ago to gather a consensus among Airport West property owners before it agreed to the changes. Engel gathered signatures from all 97 business owners in the subdivision before the council agreed to move forward.
Tony Evans: tevans@mtexpress.com
