ADU Utility Regulations

[Hannah Leiker]

I was wondering if anyone has experience building an ADU where separate utilities are required by the city? In my city, ADU regulations state:

Easements shall be dedicated for separate utilities to be provided to each dwelling unit.

A typical lot in my city has utility mains running in front of the house, and the houses are built pretty close to the side lot lines (around 7-10 feet from house to lot line). Since utility easements must be at least 15 feet wide and ADUs must be built in the backyard, I am interpreting this regulation to mean that I would only be able to build an ADU on a large or corner lot. Am I missing something?