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Planning Commission advances ADU ordinance to public hearing after definition changes
Summary
The Harris Planning Commission agreed Oct. 28 to advance an updated Accessory Dwelling Unit ordinance to a public hearing after removing a 500-square-foot cap and several definitional and design-language items; the commission directed staff to proceed to the next procedural step.
The Harris Planning Commission voted Oct. 28 to move an updated Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) ordinance to a public hearing after agreeing on changes to the draft.
City Planner Claire Stickler presented the updated draft. Commissioners said the ADU definition should no longer include a 500-square-foot size limit and that three occupation-based definitions — "childcare provider," "farm worker," and "health care provider" — could be removed from the ordinance. Commissioners agreed the ADU definition will be clarified to read that an ADU may be detached or attached to a single‑family dwelling.
The commission also directed edits to the design standards: removing the phrase "including similar material, material design, color and texture" from Item #4 and revising Item #6 to reference a modular homes definition. After that discussion, Commissioner Shari Denny moved to proceed to a public hearing on the ADU ordinance; Commissioner Jeff Borash seconded. The motion carried unanimously.
Why it matters: ADU rules affect how homeowners can add small rental or family units on existing lots, which can influence neighborhood housing supply and development patterns. The commission’s changes narrow the ordinance’s definitional complexity and remove the explicit 500‑square‑foot cap, which could allow a broader range of ADU sizes subject to design standards.
Next steps: The ordinance will be scheduled for a public hearing, where the commission will receive public testimony and consider final adoption or further amendments.
