Traverse City planners say nine homeowners have already applied to build “granny flats” on their property. A new law allowing the small apartments went into effect Thursday.
Planning Director Russ Soyring says the first step for all of them is a review process from the city planning department.
“And then we just process it like … you’re applying for an addition to your garage or your house," says Soyring. "Then, eventually, you’d take all your paperwork and go to the county construction code office and make an application for a building permit.”
Soyring says the applications came in from neighborhoods all over the city. Three of them were for new construction and six were for expansions of existing structures.
The new law allowing “granny flats” in Traverse City says only ten can be approved in a calendar year.