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College Park approves additions to ADU letter, authorizes city manager to submit to county
Summary
After extensive discussion on safety, parking and owner‑occupancy, the council voted 6–1 to add setback and lot‑coverage clarifications to its ADU recommendations and authorized the city manager to submit the letter to Prince George's County.
The College Park Mayor and Council voted 6–1 to approve additions to a city letter on proposed Prince George’s County accessory dwelling unit (ADU) legislation and to authorize the city manager to submit the letter to the county.
Miriam Bader, the city's director of planning and community development, told the council the county planning board had forwarded draft ADU legislation (identified in staff materials) to the county council and that the legislation must be adopted by Oct. 1, 2026. “The legislation must be adopted by 10/01/2026,” Bader said.
City staff recommended two additional clarifications be added to the city's prior recommendations: (1) require setbacks for ADUs to follow established accessory‑structure standards rather than allowing reductions that could impair fire safety; and (2) clarify whether ADUs are subject to maximum lot‑coverage standards or exempt from them. Council members debated additional items including safety and pathways to legalize existing unauthorized ADUs, owner‑occupancy provisions, parking study requirements, and enforcement and staffing capacity.
Councilmember Hernandez emphasized safety and the need for a registry and potential tax differentials for properties adding ADUs to offset increased service demand. Councilmember Simmons urged caution about adding requirements that might disincentivize ADU creation and recommended removing two provisions the council considered previously; others disagreed. The motion to add setback language and clarify lot coverage, and to permit the city manager to send the updated letter to the county, passed 6–1.
Staff will finalize the letter with the council’s clarifications and coordinate with nearby municipalities and the city’s lobbyists to ensure timely submission ahead of county committee meetings.
