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Waverly adopts first reading of ADU ordinance to meet new state law; council schedules public hearing
Summary
The Waverly City Council gave unanimous first reading to Ordinance 1170 to add accessory dwelling unit (ADU) provisions to the municipal code and set a public hearing for July 7, 2025. City staff said the change is required by recent state legislation and that local zoning standards such as setbacks still apply.
The Waverly City Council gave unanimous first reading on June 16 to Ordinance 1170, which adds a new chapter setting rules for accessory dwelling units (ADUs) to the Waverly Municipal Code and schedules a public hearing for 7 p.m. on July 7, 2025 in council chambers.
City staff and council members framed the ordinance as a compliance action following a change in state law that requires municipalities to allow ADUs meeting specified state criteria. "The state is now forcing the city to allow accessory dwelling units of a certain size as long as you meet the requirements," a city staff member said during the discussion.
Nut graf: The ordinance is a first-reading compliance item that integrates state-mandated ADU allowances into Waverly's zoning code while retaining locally enforceable standards such as setbacks; planning and zoning review is expected to follow with opportunities for local refinement ahead of final adoption.
What the change does and how the council discussed it
The ordinance docket entry and staff remarks say the city is adding Chapter 100, Section 100.2.04 entitled Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) and updating cross-references in related subsections. The motion also set July 7, 2025, at 7 p.m. for the public hearing in council chambers.
Council members asked whether the measure had gone through the Planning & Zoning Commission. Staff said the state law prompted the change and that the city was moving now to be in compliance; local planning and zoning can review the city's implementing language and recommend stricter or more permissive local rules where the state does not preempt local control. "K. We're just trying to get compliant as soon as we can into the new fiscal year when the law takes effect," a staff member said.
Staff cautioned that some implementation details remain unclear pending state guidance. When asked how the ADU provisions affect uses such as child care, staff said specific interpretations and guidance were not yet available from the state and legal challenges or further clarification could follow.
Votes and next steps
The council voted unanimously to approve first reading and to schedule the public hearing. Staff said the Planning & Zoning Commission can review the local code text before final readings and that council actions would follow public hearings and any additional staff recommendations.
Ending: The ordinance places Waverly on a timeline to comply with the state law; residents and planners will have a formal hearing on July 7 to comment on the proposed code language before the council considers final readings.
