Councilmember Ingrid Watson, chair of the new Accessory Dwelling Unit Task Force, opened the inaugural meeting and said the group would “develop recommendations and draft legislation that will be presented to the county council in March 2026,” with a report to be completed in February 2026.

The task force is staffed by county analysts and agency representatives and includes residents, nonprofit housing advocates, planning and building officials, and real estate industry representatives. Watson said the state of Maryland asked counties to study ADUs and that Prince George’s County must produce a local framework that addresses zoning, building codes and community outreach.

Shailene Miller Y, a budget and policy analyst with the County Council, presented an overview of ADUs, defining them as smaller independent living units on the same lot as a single-family home and describing three common types: detached units (e.g., backyard cottages), attached additions (e.g., basement or attic conversions) and internal units (reconfigurations inside a home). Miller noted the county currently defines “accessory structures” (sheds, garages) but does not allow those structures to function as full dwelling units without code changes.

Task force members discussed objectives and next steps. Watson proposed three working groups to handle separate tasks: zoning and land use (to identify statutory barriers and propose code amendments), building codes and standards (to recommend safety and design criteria), and community engagement and outreach (to organize public input and educational materials). Legal and staff members advised the group to keep working-group rosters small enough to comply with the Maryland Open Meetings Act.

Councilmember Shayla Adams Stafford and several staff members said they plan to attend working-group meetings. Members were asked to email a ranked list of preferred working groups (first, second, third choices) and contact information to iswatson@co.pg.md.us; Charlotte Ahart will send meeting notices and registration information. Watson said the full task force will aim to meet virtually on Wednesdays at 10 a.m., with working groups expected to meet separately and report back.

Members raised several concerns to be addressed by the working groups, including coordination with incorporated towns, managing enforcement for existing informal or illegal ADUs, parking impacts, and how owner-occupancy or rental rules should be structured. Watson and staff committed to collecting those items and assigning them to the appropriate working group for research and recommendation.

No formal votes or legislative actions were taken at the inaugural meeting; the session established the task force’s scope, timeline and structure and assigned next steps for staffing and member sign-up.