A zoning text amendment is currently being considered by the MC County Council: (full text here)
- no stated maximum size
- forest/tree loss
- stormwater mitigation - impervious surfaces
- enforcement mechanisms
We look forward to the continuing conversation and refinements to the amendment to ensure that it meets our shared goals without unintended consequences.
Planning Staff Report
A video from Landis Construction done Pro-Bono for the County to illustrate ADUs permissible under the proposed ZTA.
Subject: Good Intent- More Work Needed
Dear Council President Navarro and Councilmembers,
MCA echoes both the support for the intent of ZTA 19-01 and real concern with inattention, thus far, to important details. Specifically, and to be brief here, the ZTA is absent a maximum size of the detached units. We recommend limiting the size to 900 sq ft. as is effectively provided for in Portland. Keeping these units this size or less will better achieve several key stated goals, most notably ensuring that they may be reasonably affordable for the demographics that they intend to serve. Moreover, properly limiting maximum accessory unit size will help ensure that there will be less potential for significant violations in terms of the number of tenants etc.
I look forward to further collaborative conversation on how to advance the goals of the amendment while addressing broadly shared concerns.
Respectfully,
Caroline Taylor, Executive Director Montgomery Countryside Alliance