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Committee amends accessory/secondary dwelling proposal to 800 sq ft, continues debate on fees and internal units
Summary
Committee members moved to amend a proposed zoning change that would recast accessory detached units as 'secondary dwelling units' and reduce the proposed 1,000-square-foot allowance to 800 square feet; members also discussed a proposed $5,000 per-unit charge and concerns about internal accessory units and septic (TDEC) constraints.
The committee took up a zoning-ordinance amendment that would change references from "accessory detached dwelling units" to "secondary dwelling units" and adjust allowable sizes and fees.
Staff noted the draft had increased the size allowance to 1,000 square feet and indicated there had been confusion among applicants about what the larger size would allow. A staff member said internal accessory dwelling units remain defined at 600 square feet and reminded the committee that state and health-code (TDEC) approval for septic and bedroom allotments can limit the practical ability to add dwelling units.
During debate a committee member moved to amend the proposal to set the secondary dwelling-unit maximum at 800 square feet; the motion was seconded and called. Committee members said 800 square feet hits a compromise between existing practice and the larger 1,000-square-foot draft.
Members also discussed a proposed administrative fee of $5,000 per secondary dwelling unit that staff described as permissible if the unit is not an "accessory structure" under the county's private act. Staff said the county must still confirm legal and fee authority before final adoption.
Next steps: staff will reflect the 800-square-foot amendment in the draft text, verify whether the county can lawfully charge the proposed fee under the private act, and report back to the committee.
