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Public commenters and staff push Sevierville planning commission to study ADUs
Summary
During public forum, residents and a realtor urged the commission to consider allowing accessory dwelling units (ADUs) to increase affordable housing options; staff signaled interest in placing ADUs on a future agenda and outlined likely development standards such as minimum lot sizes and subordinate-structure limits.
Two members of the public urged the Sevierville Regional Planning Commission on May 7 to begin examining accessory dwelling units (ADUs) as a local housing strategy.
Leonard Waring told commissioners ADUs could help address the city’s housing shortages by providing affordable options for families, retirees and young workers while using existing infrastructure. Steve Bell, speaking for the Great Smoky Mountains Association of Realtors, said ADUs can offer flexible, regulated and code-compliant housing options and noted other communities, including Knoxville, have adopted ADU measures.
Development Director Corey Divel later summarized reasons communities pursue ADU regulations and said that, if pursued in Sevierville, the city would likely propose development standards such as minimum lot sizes, subordinate-structure size limits and limits on additional curb cuts. Commissioners expressed interest in placing the topic on a future agenda for further discussion and to review how other jurisdictions regulate ADUs.
No ordinance or specific regulatory language was proposed or voted on; commissioners only indicated interest in further study and potential future agenda placement. Staff said many common concerns could be addressed through ordinance standards and design requirements.
