RULE 12 | ENCOURAGE GRANNY FLATS
- Holly Terrill
- Nov 5
- 2 min read
WALKABLE WICHITA: LESSONS FROM JEFF SPECK
BY RAMI STUCKY
In March 1996, the City of Wichita began to allow such accessory dwelling units (ADU) in single-family, two and multi-family, and manufactured housing zones.[1] Fortunately, an overview of zoning cases in 2025 shows that it’s a relatively straightforward process. One case, at 1632 North Nevada Court, was protested at the Metropolitan Area Planning Commission (MAPC) by a neighbor due to its proximity to OK Elementary. Parking is occasionally an issue, with one District Advisory Board (DAB) member wanting reassurances that conversion to an ADU would not impact the neighborhood’s ability to park. Sometimes, commissioners question whether the new structure fits the “character of the neighborhood” and ensure that, if a new unit is going to be constructed, it abides by some general architectural guidelines. However, most of the time, such ADU requests are supported unanimously without any controversy or discussion.
This process could be even more straightforward, though, since these structures are not allowable “by right” according to Wichita’s Unified Zoning Code. Instead, applicants need to receive a conditional use permit via the city council: a process that begins with deliberations by advisory groups such as the DAB and MAPC. California has legalized granny flats across the board, and cities within the state have passed ordinances that allow residents to build them without setbacks from the property line.[2] Furthermore, as urban planner Jeff Speck notes in Walkable City Rules: 101 Steps to Making Better Places, some cities have provided zero-interest loans of up to $20,000 for construction or conversion to an ADU.[3] Wichita could similarly provide financial incentives for ADU construction and allow all single-family residences the ability to construct ADUs by right. This would free residents from the burden of a long and deliberative process.
ADUs are not just important mechanisms for infill development. They are great housing options for older people. As Speck notes, “ADUs make aging in place possible. They can provide rental income that allows empty nesters to stay in their homes when they retire. Or, they can move into the apartment and rent out the main house.”[4] The percentage of Wichita’s Hilltop population that is above 65 years old is close to 30 percent. The Indian Hills neighborhood of West Wichita, not far from OK Elementary, has similar rates of elderly residents. And the 65 and older population comprises 36 percent of residents living just north of Rock Road and 13th Street. Any area in Wichita would benefit from more accessory dwelling units, but ADUs in these areas would, in particular, help serve Wichita’s aging population. After all, as Speck notes, “the best way to convince people to support ADUs is to help them realize that, someday, they may want one too.”[5]
[1] Thank you Raquel Ordoñez in the City of Wichita’s Planning Department for helping me locate the history of the city’s ADUs.
[3] Jeff Speck, Walkable City Rules: 101 Steps to Making Better Places (Island Press, 2018), 29.
[4] Speck, Walkable City Rules: 101 Steps to Making Better Places, 29.
[5] Speck, Walkable City Rules: 101 Steps to Making Better Places, 29.
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