New Prague council advances unified development code but pulls ADU language for review

The New Prague City Council approved the second reading of a consolidated Unified Development Code (UDC) on March 16 but removed the accessory dwelling unit (ADU) provision from the published summary for additional review.

Ken (staff member) told the council the UDC consolidates zoning, subdivision regulations, the floodplain ordinance, building code references and related development rules into a single searchable document. He said staff made 74 edits to the final draft, largely punctuation and formatting changes rather than substantive policy alterations.

During the second‑reading discussion councilmembers raised concerns about the ADU language that would allow accessory dwelling units in single‑family residential districts. Councilmember Sean Ryan voiced worries about occupancy rules and short‑term or transient use, saying the city should avoid a situation similar to a recent controversy in Blaine. Ken said the draft requires that the property owner maintain permanent residence in either the principal structure or the ADU and prohibits short‑term rentals defined in the rental code as 30 days or less.

After debate, the council moved to remove letter F (the ADU section) from the ordinance and revisit ADU policy with staff and legal input. The council also approved Resolution CC260316‑2 authorizing summary publication of the ordinance by title and summary while excluding the ADU section from publication; the motion passed 5‑0.

What happens next: staff will continue reviewing ADU language with legal counsel and return proposed alternative language or conditional‑use approaches for council consideration before including ADU provisions in the UDC publication.