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Discussion of Tiny Homes
PURPOSE: The purpose of this worksession is for the Board to discuss Tiny Homes and to consider whether and how this type of dwelling may offer new housing options for Carrboro.
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DEPARTMENT: Planning
CONTACT INFORMATION: Patricia McGuire - pmcguire@townofcarrboro.org, 919-918-7327; Christina Moon - cmoon@townofcarrboro.org, 919-918-7325
INFORMATION: Interest in smaller homes began a resurgence in the late 1990s after the publication of Sarah Susanka's book The Not So Big House, which emphasized the importance of quality spaces rather than simply size. Soonafter Jay Shafer developed Tumbleweed Homes, with designs for a variety of even smaller dwellings, constructed with historic features and often placed on axles for travel. The examples range from standalone single-family homes as primary or accessory dwellings or in clusters or courts, similar to the bungalow courts in the early twentieth century, and have included buildings on permanent foundations, or units constructed to meet recreational vehicle (RV) requirements. Excitement has been growing for years; ramped up even more with the launch of the Tiny House Expedition's YouTube posting of Living Tiny Legally, Parts I and II (available at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmpHOZ6GqCvcWyPX3svgz-g) and the recent approval of a Tiny House appendix for inclusion in the 2018 International Residential Code (IRC). An infographic prepared by thetinylife.com summarizes information about housing patterns and the interests in tiny houses. See Attachment A or http://thetinylife.com/tag/infographic/.
Residential building requirements and zoning ordinances are not fully in sync with tiny homes. The (IRC) forms the basis for the State of North Carolina's Residential Building Code and that code is updated every six years. Simply stated, building codes are designed to support permanent, fixed occupancy, and impermanent residences are typically classified as vehicl...
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