West Lafayette ‘granny flats’ zoning plan likely dead

As near-campus neighborhood opposition mounts, sponsor says votes aren’t there on city council for proposal to allow ‘accessory dwelling units’ in residential zones in West Lafayette

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WEST LAFAYETTE ‘GRANNY FLATS’ ZONING PLAN LIKELY DEAD

A proposed change in zoning codes that would allow a second home on a residential lot in West Lafayette – a move that has faced increasingly stiff resistance from some homeowners in near-campus neighborhoods – will likely die when it comes to a vote March 3, a city council member who pushed to adopt the concept says.

James Blanco, a West Lafayette City Council member, said the prospects for the “accessory dwelling units” zoning code ordinance were not good.

“And not close to passing, given what I’ve heard,” Blanco, an at-large member on the all Democratic city council, said this week. He’d sponsored a request in 2024 to have the Area Plan Commission come up with a zoning code proposal for “granny flats” as one way to chip away at the city’s housing shortage.

“It ran into a lot of opposition in key neighborhoods, especially New Chauncey, and opponents of these types of reforms typically get more mobilized than supporters,” Blanco said. “This has opened up a broader conversation about housing here. I'm thankful for that.”