Commission to draft rules for detached ADUs after survey shows community interest

Fountain Green’s Planning Commission signaled April 9 that it will begin drafting an ordinance to allow detached accessory dwelling units (ADUs), after members reviewed a citizen survey and discussed restrictions related to lot size, water and septic capacity.

Commissioners reviewed the general-plan survey results showing mixed but notable support for smaller lots and ADUs. The chair asked members whether they would support putting together an ordinance for detached ADUs; a majority of the commissioners present said yes, subject to safeguards such as minimum lot-size limits and septic/water considerations.

Commissioners emphasized they were not prepared to reduce minimum lot sizes without limits. Concerns cited included the city’s half-acre minimum for building lots and the potential to effectively create two separate homes on a single parcel, which could strain water and septic systems. Commissioner (Speaker 6) warned that utilities and septic capacity would be central constraints.

Members agreed to prioritize the general-plan review first and to tackle an ADU ordinance afterward, proposing a timeline that would place ordinance drafting work in late summer (August–September) so the commission can give the general plan attention first. Commissioner (Speaker 3) recommended using model ordinances from other municipalities and offered to prepare draft language for the commission to review in a legally-compliant format.

Next steps: staff and volunteer commissioners will collect sample ordinances, frame options (size caps, owner-occupancy or occupancy limits, utilities requirements), and schedule a drafting subcommittee that complies with open-meeting rules for ordinance development.