ADUs: Current Status, Next Steps & Background

Current Status and Next Steps

The Planning Commission will continue to review a zoning ordinance text amendment (ZOTA) on Accessory Dwelling Units (ADU) next Monday (10/21/19) at 1:30 pm.  You can find details about that Special Meeting here.  The Commission can choose at that meeting to recommend an ADU ZOTA—a final draft of their preference—to Council.  The ZOTA will not be final when the Planning Commission makes a recommendation.  Council will still have the opportunity to review it.

A note on the upcoming Monday (10/21/19) Planning Commission Meeting: this Special Meeting is a continuation of the Meeting held on Thursday, September 26, 2019.  The Meeting has been split into two parts so that the Planning Commission could allocate greater than usual time to public comment on the issue.  The break will also provide the Commission Members with additional time to consider all feedback prior to their deliberations.  Those deliberations will occur during the continuation of the meeting, which again will begin at 1:30 pm on Monday, October 21, 2019.  Given that this second meeting serves as a continuation, it will not include the public hearing portion.  That Meeting, should the Commission forward a recommendation to Council, will not represent the conclusion of public comment.  Once Council has a recommendation, the public will have additional opportunities to contact Council directly regarding the Commission’s final draft.  Our usual process includes vetting in Committee, a recommendation from a Committee to the Council, a discussion at Work Session, and then two readings at subsequent Council Meetings.  The number of meetings Council devotes to this issue could vary, but each of the above meetings would have opportunity for public comment.  Your letters and emails are always welcome.  Contact information for each Council Office can be found here and information for my Office is available at the end of this post.

I have and will continue to monitor closely the Commission’s discussion and public comment  on this issue.  I am keeping note of all comments I receive.  I will diligently consider the positive and negative consequences that could be caused by ADUs and continue to welcome all feedback throughout this process.

For those who are learning about this issue, I have provided further background below.

Background

For newcomers, an ADU is an independent living space located on the same property as another residence.  An ADU could possibly take the form of a separate structure, a renovation, an addition, or a basement.  An ADU must have a separate kitchen and bathroom.

You can view the current ADU draft language at the link below:

Planning staff have provided their response to public feedback at the September 26, 2019 Meeting.  You can find that response below:

Major areas of consideration in this ADU draft include:

  • The nature of ADUs (attached, detached, remodeled)
  • Zones eligible for ADU development
  • Physical feature requirements
  • Parking requirements
  • Owner occupancy
  • Style and materials

You can review additional information and background at the web page below, which includes links to the Planning Commission’s meetings on the topic and related presentations.

The ADU ZOTA is a policy created in accordance with direction from the 2018 Comprehensive Plan.  ADUs are recommended in the following sections:

  • Density Policy #5: Provide affordable and/or compact residential options through accessory dwelling units. (page 44)
  • Equity Policy #6: Provide flexibility for senior housing through accessory dwelling units. (page 50)
  • Support Policy #9: Implement creative housing opportunities that are both accessible and affordable for seniors and people with disabilities. (page 197)

You can review the full policy descriptions, using the above page numbers for convenient reference, at the link below:

Part of the reason ADUs are in the Comprehensive Plan is the Senior Services Commission has advocated for this issue.  The Commission also hosted a series of public education events earlier in the year to share information on the topic.  The broader context from the Commission’s perspective is an interest in advancing goals set by the network of Age-Friendly Communities.  Lexington was the first city in the state to join this network.   There are 8 domains of age-friendliness, once of which is housing.  ADUs are part of the housing strategy.  The domains are set by the World Health Organization (WHO), which has partnered with the AARP in the United States to encourage policies friendlier to seniors.  The AARP has supported this housing goal on a national level through advocacy and funding for ADUs.  You can view the AARP’s national ADU guide here.  The Senior Services Commission received an AARP grant to create a manual for ADUs in Lexington.  It’s available here.

The intent of the policy with respect to seniors and those with disabilities is to provide additional living options.  Some older homes in Lexington, for example, were designed with a living room and entertaining space on the first floor and bedrooms on the second floor.  As residents age, houses of this style have access issues given that the full bathroom and bedroom are upstairs.  Many seniors might not want to have to leave their homes and would prefer to age in place.   An ADU could allow caregivers to live nearby in the main house with a smaller ADU on the same property for those wishing to age in place.  Having this option could allow seniors to remain in a neighborhood they consider home.

A second consideration on this issue as it pertains to the Comprehensive Plan is how Lexington accommodates a population that increases by over 3,000 people per year.  Our community emphasizes infill and redevelopment–density over sprawl.  This approach to growth has protected the iconic greenspace that makes Lexington worldclass and has made Lexington a community where many people want to live and work.   The ADU ZOTA could be a small part of that larger strategy by providing more housing without consuming more land.   I note this broader context of infill and redevelopment so that readers can better understand a long range planning lens through which many might see this discussion.

The issue has received robust public interest.  Accordingly, please feel free to leave your comments below, email me at skay@lexingtonky.gov, leave a message at (859) 258-3202, or mail letters to me at the following address:

Vice Mayor Steve Kay
200 E. Main Street – 5th Floor
Lexington, KY  40507

Popular Posts