Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Housing Accessory Dwelling topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Board approves first reading to align county code with Iowa law expanding accessory dwelling units
Summary
The Board approved a first reading to amend the county zoning ordinance to comply with Iowa Senate File 592, which requires counties to allow at least one accessory dwelling unit on lots with single-family residences and remove certain restrictive local regulations.
The Woodbury County Board of Supervisors approved the first reading July 22 of an amendment to the zoning ordinance intended to comply with Iowa Senate File 592, signed into law May 1, 2025. The statute requires counties to permit at least one accessory dwelling unit (ADU) on lots with single‑family residences and prohibits certain local restrictions.
Daniel Priestley, Zoning Coordinator, told supervisors the draft ordinance removes the county’s prior conditional‑use requirement for second dwellings that had limited ADUs to relatives or workers. Priestley explained the state law requires counties not to infringe on the ability to install a second dwelling and that the county’s ordinance needed edits "to make our ordinance more compatible and not to mislead if your ordinance says something that's restrictive that's really allowed." The draft sets a size limit for an ADU at 1,000 square feet or 50% of the size of the existing dwelling, whichever is greater.
There were no public comments on the ADU amendment at the meeting. The board closed the public hearing and voted 5–0 to approve the first reading. Supervisors said the change was intended to bring county code into compliance with state law and to remove provisions that could be interpreted as restricting ADUs beyond the new state standard.
What the board did
- Held a public hearing on the zoning text amendment tied to Iowa Senate File 592. - Closed the hearing with no public speakers and approved the first reading of the ordinance text amendment by unanimous vote (5–0).
Key clarifications
- Under the state law and the draft local text, a permitted accessory dwelling unit may be 1,000 square feet or 50% of the primary dwelling’s square footage, whichever is greater. - The county will remove conditional-use restrictions that previously limited second dwellings to relatives or workers.
Next steps
Planning staff will prepare the ordinance for subsequent readings and publication as required by county procedure.
