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Resident urges Ferguson supervisors to allow ADUs and modernize R-4 to address housing shortage
Summary
Eli Killian told the board March 4 that permitting accessory dwelling units and loosening R-4 rules (height, coverage, setbacks) would increase housing supply and help retain Penn State graduates; he proposed pilot neighborhoods and specific zoning changes.
During the public-comment period at the March 4 Ferguson Township Board meeting, resident Eli Killian urged supervisors to adopt policies allowing accessory dwelling units (ADUs) and to modernize the R-4 high-density zone to address a local housing shortage.
Killian said the township’s current zoning and housing stock drive graduates away and recommended allowing ADUs across single-family lots with standardized 10-foot side-yard setbacks, raising accessory-structure height to match primary buildings, and expanding impervious/coverage allowances to enable modern stormwater solutions. For R-4 he proposed increasing the maximum building height and floor-count to allow denser development and suggested a neighborhood-by-neighborhood pilot for voluntary adoption.
"Housing is critical," Killian told the board. "These zoning updates strike a balance between growth, livability, and environmental responsibility. I urge supervisors to take action now." He said he had posted a report on his website with a calculator that models tax and rent impacts.
Planning and resident commenters later raised concerns about first-floor commercial requirements and vacancy; Bill Keogh recommended the planning commission consider conditional allowances for first-floor residential rather than an outright ban. Board members acknowledged public interest but noted the meeting’s advertised item was a narrow text correction; supervisors suggested separate, advertised review and possible referral to the planning commission for broader zoning reforms.
