Yahoo Autos After 3 years, Lexington council moves ‘granny flat’ proposal forward with key changes
After more than three years of debate, the Lexington council inched closer Tuesday to allowing accessory dwelling units in Lexington neighborhoods.
A committee of the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council voted unanimously to move to the full council an ordinance that would allow for accessory dwelling units, sometimes referred to as granny flats. But the council opted to eliminate new detached accessory dwelling units or tiny houses.
Accessory dwelling units that include additions to houses or conversions of existing garages, basements or attics would still be allowed under the proposal.
Vice Mayor Steve Kay, who made the motion to eliminate free-standing accessory dwelling units, said much of the pushback has been against the detached units.
The vote of the council‘s Planning and Public Safety Committee came after a more than four-hour public hearing late Tuesday. The full council will take its first vote on the ordinance at a work session on Oct. 12. The proposed changes also include reviewing the program after 12 months.
Accessory units provide housing flexibility
Chris Woodall, director of long-range planning, told the council committee that accessory dwelling units “provide flexibility” for housing.
Many older people want to “age in place,” Woodall said. “Nursing homes and assisted living are very costly for people on a fixed income. “
Woodall said accessory dwelling units could also allow homeowners to increase the value of their homes.
The idea for accessory dwelling units came from the city’s senior services commission more than three years ago, Woodall said.
In October 2019, the Urban County Planning Commission voted unanimously to change city zoning ordinances to allow accessory dwelling units with some substantial limits after hearing concerns from residents.
The proposal would allow one accessory dwelling unit per lot. The maximum allowed size for an attached unit would be 800 square feet, in most cases. In some cases, depending on the size of the house, the maximum could be 625 square feet.
On Tuesday, the council tweaked the requirements to allow a basement conversion to be the same footprint as the house even if the size exceeds the 800-square-foot maximum.
In addition, the rules would:
Require an owner to live in the home or the accessory dwelling unit.
Force an owner to get a conditional use permit if the accessory dwelling unit was to be used as a short-term rental — such as an Airbnb.
Limit the number of people in an accessory dwelling unit to two adults and any related children.
Require owners to meet with planning staff prior to building an accessory dwelling unit.
Based on other cities that allow accessory dwelling units, the city’s planning staff estimates between 19 and 190 units will be built.
