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Taneytown planning panel recommends ADU ordinance, adds parking‑study requirement
Summary
The Taneytown Planning Commission unanimously recommended that the mayor and council adopt the state‑mandated accessory dwelling unit ordinance, adding language that would require a parking study for each proposed ADU; discussion centered on parking triggers, waivers and building‑code requirements.
The Taneytown Planning Commission unanimously recommended that the mayor and council adopt a local ordinance to implement Maryland's accessory dwelling unit (ADU) law, adding a requirement that a parking study be conducted for every new ADU application.
Andrew, a staff presenter, told the commission the ordinance on the table implements the state requirement and is intended to be in place by the state deadline. "The accessory dwelling unit ordinance that is before you today is a requirement from the state of Maryland that is required for any county and local municipal government to adopt by October 1st of this year," Andrew said, noting the draft draws on guidance from the Maryland Department of Planning and the model ordinance they provided.
Why it matters: the ADU law (noted in the meeting as House Bill 1466) will allow more housing flexibility but limits local control over parking unless a local jurisdiction first completes a parking study. Commissioners debated how strictly to define and trigger that study, and whether to require off‑street parking or allow waivers decided by a board of appeals.
The discussion focused on several recurring issues. Commissioners pressed for clarity on what constitutes a parking study and when one would be required; whether ADUs converted within an existing dwelling would trigger building‑code upgrades such as sprinklers; how addresses and 911 numbering would be handled; whether rental licensing should accompany ADU rules; and how homeowners association covenants would interact with the ordinance. Andrew read wording from the draft and the state guidance during the exchange and said the town could coordinate with county address and 911 staff as needed.
One commissioner proposed specific language to solidify the town's approach: "A parking study shall be conducted for every new accessory dwelling unit. Off‑street parking is not required for an ADU unless a parking study has demonstrated that on‑site parking is required," language the commission adopted by motion. The motion to recommend the ordinance with that revised parking‑study wording was seconded by Bill and carried unanimously.
What the recommendation does — and does not — do: the planning commission's vote was a recommendation to the mayor and council, not final adoption. The commission discussed, but did not adopt, any local licensing regime; staff said rental licensing would be a separate ordinance that would go before the council. Commissioners also noted that building‑code triggers (for example, when a new detached ADU would require full current‑code construction, including possible sprinklers) remain governed by county and state building codes.
Next steps: the commission's recommendation will be forwarded to the mayor and council for consideration. County planning staff and town staff are simultaneously advancing the town's comprehensive plan through a 60‑day county review process; staff said they expect the plan to appear on upcoming county planning commission agendas in July and August.
Quotes and attribution in this article come from the meeting transcript and are attributed to the presenter identified in the record (Andrew) and to commissioners or staff as recorded. The commission voted to carry the recommendation to council; the motion was seconded by Bill.
