County staff presented proposed deed-restriction paperwork for accessory dwelling units (ADUs) in the Towe area at the Board of County Commissioners meeting on Jan. 14, 2026. The paperwork would require the property owner to live on the parcel to use an ADU and would bind future owners to the restriction.

The presentation, given by county staff, said the paperwork is intended to prevent conversions that would turn single-family lots into de facto multi-unit rentals or duplexes and to give the county an enforcement pathway. "When a person makes a secondary dwelling on their property...we're trying to limit...making the full property into multiple apart[s], not necessarily apartments," staff said. The paperwork would allow the county to require removal or deconstruction of an ADU if the owner fails to comply.

Staff told commissioners the approach is not a new policy but formalizes prior regulatory intent and that legal review has been completed to ensure the language is enforceable. Under the plan, property owners would sign the document as part of the permitting and certificate-of-occupancy process so the restriction remains with the land on sale or transfer.

No motion or formal vote was taken on Jan. 14; staff presented the paperwork for the board’s awareness and said the item had already been run through legal. Staff indicated the paperwork is primarily administrative and that the county is aiming for a straightforward enforcement tool rather than heavy-handed regulation.

Commissioners asked clarifying questions and noted the paperwork is intended to preserve ADUs for family use rather than institutional or investor-driven conversions. Staff said they would proceed as directed and that the county would require the signed deed restriction before issuing certificates of occupancy for ADUs.