FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 28, 2024

Construction Plans for Winning Accessory Dwelling Unit Design Now Available for Public Use

KINGSTON, NY – Mayor Steven T. Noble is pleased to announce that Demo Architecture, the firm that won the City of Kingston’s ‘Yes to ADUs!’ accessory dwelling unit design competition, has completed their construction plans, which are now available for public use.

Demo Architecture’s winning design has been pre-approved by the Kingston Building Department, and the permit-ready construction documents can be found here. Working with their own design professional, Kingston property owners can use the construction documents to obtain building permits to construct new, detached ADUs based on the design.

“With our new zoning code, one of the big changes was allowing ADUs citywide, a concept that has been proven to benefit communities by adding much-needed affordable housing, creating density and diversifying housing type,” said Mayor Noble. “We are pleased to provide Demo’s winning design free to homeowners in Kingston who wish to move forward with building an ADU on their property. Demo’s design included an enclosed outdoor area, a unique feature for most ADU designs, that we think will be versatile enough for use in many different locations.”

Bartek Starodaj, Director of Housing Initiatives said, “I’m pleased that for the first time, the City of Kingston has pre-approved accessory dwelling unit plans that anyone looking to construct new detached ADUs can use. By pre-approving code compliant ADU Plans, we hope to reduce the costs and uncertainty for these property owners and to expedite the permitting process.”

The winning design was DEMO Architecture’s design, with Plus One by Andrade Architecture as the runner up, and a $3,000 award for the best non-professional/student design went to Part & Parcel by Rafael Cruz.

More information available at https://engagekingston.com/adu-design-competition

The Yes to ADUs! Accessory Dwelling Unit Design Competition was funded with the City of Kingston’s American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding, and is part of the Plus One Home Program, a partnership between the City of Kingston, Ulster County, and RUPCO.

The Plus One Home Program provides funding to low- and moderate-income residents to create new code-compliant ADUs. To be eligible, homeowners must meet the income threshold (i.e., earning 100% or less of Ulster County Area Media Income) and can receive up to $125,000 dollars for the construction or rehabilitation of an ADU. In exchange, the homeowner also must agree to rent the apartment at an affordable rate for a minimum of 10 years. Once information about the next application round is available, it will be posted on: https://rupco.org/plusone.

Mayor Noble established the Department of Housing Initiatives in 2020 to support housing planning in the City of Kingston. The Department manages housing-related grants, supports the construction of new market-rate and affordable housing, develops policies to protect existing residents, and addresses the connection between housing and sustainability, health, and mobility. The Department also reviews the disposition of city-owned property suitable for housing development and collaborates with local and regional housing organizations. Visit https://kingston-ny.gov/housing.