Woodstock Creates Development Standards for ADUs

Woodstock officials have amended the city’s land development ordinance to establish development standards for accessory dwelling units.

The Woodstock City Council voted 5-1 May 20 to approve the amendments. Council Member Rob Usher was the lone vote against the motion.

City staff report that they have received questions about ADUs, including how one can be used, how it can look and lot placement. An ADU is an additional residential building that occupies the same lot as a primary residence. They are also known as “mother-in-law suites,” “granny flats” and “carriage houses.”

“Currently, the code does not give a lot of guidance for ADUs,” said Woodstock City Planner Cameron Dunn. “We are using the existing code as a baseline to build our code edits off of. We have arrived at an ordinance that organizes this code and expands it to add guidance, ensuring compatibility with our single-family neighborhoods and also place it in one clear section for homeowners to reference as they undertake these projects.”

The amendments to the city’s existing ADU provisions provide further guidance to residents considering this housing option.

The decision comes as communities across Georgia are seeing limited availability of affordable housing.

“Woodstock alone cannot ‘fix’ the statewide housing crunch; however, it can enhance existing LDO provisions to encourage housing that is functional, organically affordable, and preserves the character of Woodstock’s residential neighborhoods,” a city staff report reads in part.

According to city documents, Woodstock currently allows ADUs to be built by right in many residential zoning districts. These include much of the Downtown Urban Core and legacy neighborhoods on the eastern side of the city, where there are larger minimum lot standards.

The new ordinance defines an ADU as “a detached or attached permanent living unit which provides complete independent living facilities for one or more persons. It shall include permanent provisions for living, sleeping, eating, cooking and sanitation, and shall be located on the same parcel upon which the primary single-family residence is situated.”

The amended ordinance also includes a new section detailing ADU requirements.

ADUs will be applied for and permitted by the community development director or designee upon determining that the application meets various requirements. These requirements include permitted uses and development standards.

Some of the requirements in the permitted uses section are:

♦ One ADU be allowed in any single-family residential zone on properties where there is one existing single-family residence.

♦ Either the primary unit or the ADU be owner-occupied.

♦ A person seeking an ADU to provide, if applicable, a written statement to city staff from their homeowner’s association which confirms that the HOA does not prohibit ADUs.

♦ Properties with an ADU that do not have an active homestead exemption will not be considered for short term rental units.

♦ If an ADU is being used as a short-term rental unit, a written statement, if applicable, from the homeowner’s association which confirms that the HOA does not prohibit short term rental units in its bylaws will be provided to city staff.

The development standards include:

ADUs may have a square footage up to 40% of the habitable floor area of the primary dwelling unit. If the primary dwelling unit is less than 2,125 habitable square feet, the ADU may have a square footage of up to 85♦ 0 square feet.

♦ ADUs are to be similar to the primary dwelling unit in appearance, including colors and materials.

♦ An ADU must also comply with the accessory use requirements of the land development code.

♦ ADUs must be affixed by permanent foundation and will not include recreational vehicles, park trailers, or travel trailers. May be modular homes, but not manufactured homes. If the building type is unclear, the building official has discr♦ etion on acceptability.

♦ Should be located behind the front façade of the primary dwelling unit.

♦ Will have at least one parking space per unit in addition to the number of parking spaces required for a single-family dwelling.

♦ Access must be provided separately from the primary dwelling unit with an entrance not visible from any public right-of-way.

♦ A maximum of two bedrooms are allowed per ADU.

♦ Detached accessory dwellings are to be no closer than five feet to any other accessory building, or to the primary building, on the same parcel.

♦ An ADU should also not create a separate tax parcel or be subdivided.

♦ ADUs cannot be more than 15 feet tall, unless the primary dwelling is more than 15 feet in height, in which case the ADU’s height can be up to the height of the primary dwelling.

City staff are also potentially looking at creating pre-approved ADU plans through an architecture firm, Dunn said. Staff have also proposed providing handouts to homeowners interested in building an ADU with guidance on regulations and the permitting process.

The Woodstock City Council reviewed the ordinance on March 18 and provided guidance on ADU use, design and parking. This guidance was incorporated into the draft ordinance.