Covington council adopts code changes to implement state middle‑housing and ADU laws

The Covington City Council voted June 10 to amend Title 18 of the Covington Municipal Code to implement state middle‑housing and accessory‑dwelling‑unit (ADU) laws described in the presentation as house bill 11 10 and house bill 13 37.

Planning staff said the ordinance updates local definitions, dimensional and density rules, and parking and design requirements so the city’s code aligns with the 2023–2024 state mandates that require cities to allow specified middle‑housing types in single‑family zones and to loosen some ADU restrictions.

Why this matters: the changes alter what housing types are permitted on single‑family lots within Covington, affect development review and permitting, and will prompt follow‑on work for design standards, impact fees and building-code coordination.

Planning manager Selena (staff) summarized the code changes to the council and noted Covington was mostly compliant with existing rules but needed updates to meet the state’s definitions and mandatory allowances. As described in staff’s presentation, the ordinance:

- Entitles single‑family lots to at least two housing units where single‑family is permitted; permitted configurations include duplexes through six‑plexes (the presentation described this requirement as coming from "HB 11 10"). - Expands ADU allowances, permitting up to two ADUs per lot (attached, detached, attic/basement ADUs are included) and reduces some parking requirements tied to ADUs. - Sets parking minimums by lot size: for lots 6,000 square feet or smaller, the city may require only one off‑street parking stall; larger lots may have higher requirements per the updated code text. - Retains the city’s interior setback standard at 7.5 feet after council and planning‑commission discussion; staff removed discretionary design rules that the state forbids for middle housing but included minimal, nondiscriminatory form‑and‑site standards allowed by law.

Staff said the city will now begin follow‑on work items required to implement the ordinance effectively, including updates to building and fire access standards to accommodate new housing forms, reconciliation of parking code language adopted in 2023, review of impact‑fee policy for ADUs, and a possible review of incentives for affordability.

Planning staff emphasized this is the first step in a multi‑part program. Selena told the council, “townhomes was probably the most debated definition we were running into at the land use level with our current planners.” The presentation also flagged the recently passed lot‑split bill (referred to in the meeting materials as “h 10 96”) that will require additional code work to implement an over‑the‑counter lot‑split process.

Council discussion ranged from procedural support to policy caution. Several council members said they expect staff to return with monitoring and reporting on outcomes. Councilmember Sean asked staff to include counts of new middle‑housing units and sales data in future reports; staff agreed to provide annual reporting to the Department of Commerce and to return to council with local performance data and any proposed affordability incentives.

The ordinance passed after a motion and second; the council recorded the vote as passed during the June 10 meeting.