Resort planners will seek public input on a zoning amendment that will authorize the development of accessory dwelling units (ADUs) on property already accommodating single-family detached houses.
In July, planning personnel came before the City Council to discuss a new state mandate requiring local governments to adopt laws that facilitate the construction of the accessory housing units. The goal, according to the state Department of Planning, is to help solve a 96,000-unit housing shortage and create affordable housing options for Marylanders.
At the council’s direction, staff this summer began drafting an ordinance using the state’s requirements. Now, the Ocean City Planning Commission will hold a public hearing on Oct. 6 to get the public’s views on the subject.
“This is a state mandate, a state requirement,” Planning and Community Development Director George Bendler told planning commission members on Tuesday. “All municipalities within the state of Maryland are going under the same guidelines of what the state legislature told us we can and can’t do.”
Currently, the city allows accessory structures on single-family lots – for example, a converted room above a garage. However, once those units include kitchens, it becomes a separate dwelling unit, which is currently not allowed in single-family residential districts.