For Immediate Release: Wednesday, January 16, 2019
From the Office of Councilmember Hans Riemer
ROCKVILLE, Md., Jan. 15, 2019—Today Councilmember Hans Riemer introduced Zoning Text Amendment (ZTA) 19-01 – Accessory Residential Units – Accessory Apartments, a proposal designed to remove barriers that prevent homeowners from building accessory apartments. ZTA 19-01 would, among other things, remove the prohibition on detached accessory dwelling units (ADUs) in small lot, single family zones and remove the prohibition on ADUs in basements. Certain other restrictions, such as the requirement that the property be owner-occupied, would remain in the law.
ADUs are separate dwelling units on the same property as a single-family residence. Often they are constructed as part of a single house (an “attached” ADU) but they can also be a separate tiny house or cottage, or an apartment above a garage. ADUs have a separate entrance, full kitchen and bathroom. These units, sometimes called in-law suites or granny flats, are great housing options for parents or grandparents, adult children and relatives, individuals with special needs and caregivers, and of course, people generally. ADUs are an inherently affordable form of housing that may allow some people to live in expensive neighborhoods that would otherwise be out of reach.
“ADUs are a wonderful solution for housing different generations of a family and they provide more affordable housing in parts of the County where housing has become prohibitively expensive,” said Councilmember Riemer, who is the chair of the Council’s Planning, Housing and Economic Development Committee. “Unfortunately, the County’s rules treat this housing type as a nuisance to be avoided rather than a resource to be welcomed. This zoning change aims to change that framework.”
Councilmember Riemer will host a policy forum on ADUs this Saturday, Jan. 19 from 10 a.m. to noon at the Council Office Building, 100 Maryland Avenue in Rockville. The forum is free and open to the public, RSVP here.
The Council staff report on ZTA 19-01 can be viewed here. A fact sheet compiled by Councilmember Riemer about this legislation and ADUs in general can be viewed here. A public hearing for ZTA 19-01 is scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 26 at 7:30 p.m.
Last year, Councilmember Riemer was a lead sponsor of ZTA 18-07, Accessory Residential Units – Accessory Apartments, along with former Councilmembers Nancy Floreen, George Leventhal and Roger Berliner, which streamlined the process for creating ADUs by removing the requirement for conditional use approval for all accessory apartments and revising the limited use provisions for attached and detached accessory apartments.
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Release ID: 19-015