Bluffdale Allows for Detached ADUs. Should Your City?

Bluffdale’s decision to permit detached Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) marks a victory for property rights and housing freedom. By allowing homeowners the flexibility to construct backyard cottages on their properties, Bluffdale is championing individual liberty while addressing pressing housing needs. To its credit, Bluffdale is going a step further than merely allowing detached ADUs — they recently announced the production of a toolkit designed to help residents build them.

Detached ADU legalization, different from the basement apartment ADUs already legal across the state, empower property owners to construct dwellings completely separate from their primary home. The following are just a few ways detached ADUs can benefit homeowners and communities:

• Enable older or disabled residents to live on the same lot as their relatives, creating a means for their needs to be met and for them to remain in the community.
• Increase the supply of affordable housing not requiring government subsidies.
• Enable a young couple to save up money to buy their own home.
• Increase the tax base while minimizing the costs related to new public infrastructure.
• Have the benefits of an ADU, with the increased privacy of not having to share walls.

These benefits, available to Bluffdale residents, promote a fundamental aspect of personal freedom — the right to use your land as you see fit.

Perceived downsides to detached ADU legalization, such as parking issues, noise, and other potential nuisances can all be handled by a well-crafted ordinance and addressed in a well-written toolkit.

With its support of detached ADUs, Bluffdale sets an example for municipalities across the state. As other cities consider similar measures, they too may embrace the principles of property rights and housing freedom, granting their residents more freedom to use their property.