Mount Vernon — The city council on Wednesday voted to extend an interim ordinance governing accessory dwelling units for another six months while staff finalizes the city’s housing element and related development regulations.

Rebecca Lowell, principal planner, told council the interim ordinance has appeared before the council three times and that the current temporary rules would expire in September; the extension is requested to maintain regulatory stability while permanent regulations are prepared. "We are simply asking for a 6 month extension of those regulations to keep the same ones in place because the currently in place ordinance will expire in September," Lowell said.

Nut graf: The extension preserves the existing interim ADU rules until the housing element and matching development regulations are adopted; city staff said the new development regulations will repeal the interim ordinance when adopted. Council opened a public hearing and, seeing no public testimony, returned to the motion to extend. The ordinance passed on a council vote.

Council discussion clarified that the housing element update and new development regulations are expected by the end of the year. Lowell explained that a conflict in the current comprehensive plan’s housing element — specifically policies related to ownership — prevented immediate adoption of permanent ADU rules and that the extension will allow staff to reconcile those elements.

Ending: The council passed the six-month extension; staff plans to return with permanent development regulations tied to the updated housing element.