zoning says

[Trader Will]

Hi all, I have a question.

I want to build a one room cottage style house around 450sq ft in my backyard and live in it myself. There is a 3BR 1Bath house up front. I talked to a person with the city and they said zoning restrictions say I can build the house in my back yard but I can't have a stove and I can't have a kitchen sink. How do I go about getting around a restriction like that?

[MountainDon]

  Trader Will.

How do I go about getting around a restriction like that?

You eat out.   

Seriously though, if you are trying to stay within the letter of the law, they've already said no.  It sounds like the area is zoned for single family dwellings. Kitchens are frequently used as a trigger for that sort of thing.

Would an RV be allowed to be parked and lived in?

[psammy]

SOMEHOW.....those issues get resolved after the final inspection....wink,wink,nudge,nudge    In no way should this post be construed as advice to surreptitiously violate the heavenly wisdom of your local zoning board!

[psammy]

The big issue to answer is who will be living in the main house.....your son or daughter and their family?  If not, I would be very careful with the zoning laws.  If family, would a cooktop or microwave be sufficient for your needs without violating the zoning codes?  A lot of people build elaborate outdoor kitchens and poolhouses....those generally seem to okay with zoning.  If you were thinking of renting the main house and living in the backyard...you're just asking for trouble, probably.  I personally don't 'get it' when it comes to many zoning ordinances....the last city i lived in the houses were 95% 1000sf post war bungalows, but if you were to build a new house, it had to be a minimum 2000sf.... 

psammy

[Trader Will]

Understood, tnx.

[eddiescabin]

Trader Will, not sure where you are located, but in this area of Ca they would not allow any "in law" set ups or anything of the kind for years.  In recent times the city/county/state MUST grant you the permits if you aqbide by the mandatory setbacks from property lines.  This is in response to housing shortages in Ca. Mind you this area is an affluent community that fought hard in court and lost.