Union County Approves First Reading of Ordinance Allowing Construction of Accessory Dwelling Units

UNION COUNTY – At their meeting on July 17, 2024, the Union County Board of Commissioners approved the first reading of Ordinance 2024-03. This ordinance proposes to amend the county’s zoning and subdivision ordinances to allow for the creation/construction of accessory dwelling units (ADUs), subject to conditional use review by the county. The full title of the measure is pretty self-explanatory:

“In the matter of an ordinance amending the Union County Zoning Division and Subdivision Ordinance, thereby permitting the creation of additional dwelling units in the county’s R-1 Rural Center Zone, R-2 Rural Residential Zone, R-3 Farm Residential Zone and R-4 Forest Residential Zone as a conditional use assessment.”

During the meeting, several Union County residents expressed concerns that the proposed amendment could lead to several problems if many ADUs were built. These concerns included (but were not limited to) stress on local water tables in areas already plagued by water pressure issues, the cost of building additional wells to compensate for ADUs, increased vehicle traffic on narrow, private, and unmaintained roads, increased vehicle traffic near properties with young children and pets, fire hazards caused by poorly maintained or constructed ADUs, and fire hazards caused by the accumulation of trash from future ADU occupants.

Other concerns and criticisms of the measure included possible overcrowding of sparsely populated areas/unassimilated communities and a degradation of the ascetic state/beauty of areas as a result of ADU construction.

County commissioners and other county residents in attendance made points that ADUs could help alleviate the ongoing housing shortage. Other clarifications the county provided during the meeting included:

• ADUs have a maximum size of 900 square feet.
• High value agricultural land designations do not apply to ADU development as all rural residential areas of the region are considered exception zones.
• While ADUs can be rented, they cannot be classified or managed as short-term rentals.
• ADU laws do not prohibit renting to family members of the landowner.
• While the county approves land use for ADUs, other aspects of construction, such as septic systems, are still reviewed and monitored separately by other government agencies, such as the Department of Environmental Quality.
• ADUs cannot be built without a primary residence already located on the property.

The vote for the ordinance passed with two commissioners in favor and one against. Please note that this is ONLY THE FIRST READING of the ordinance and the changes to county law have NOT yet gone into effect as of this writing. A second reading of the ordinance is scheduled for August 21st.^st2024, at 9:15 am during the regular committee meeting.