Accessory dwellings may be added to owner-occupied homes

MANATEE COUNTY — Sarasota County and the cities of Bradenton, Sarasota and Palmetto allow accessory dwelling units, such as garage apartments and so-called “granny flats” — small homes that share a site with an owner-occupied house.

Manatee County’s residential zoning codes do not.

To encourage more affordable housing, especially for individuals, the Manatee County Commission is considering adding such "ADUs" as an allowable use.

With median rent at $1,245 a month and the cost of a single-family house typically at least $300,000, housing costs are out of reach for much of the work force — including county employees, who average $46,667 in annual wages.

County planners suggest any ordinance allowing ADUs include several restrictions:

• Owners must reside on the premises.

• The accessory unit may be rented, but the county would prefer it not be a vacation rental. State law, however, prohibits the county from banning vacation rentals.

• Its size may be limited to 80 percent of the primary dwelling on the site or 1,000 square feet, whichever is less.

“By limiting size, we limit cost,” county planner Josh Dan said.

Homeowners, if they prefer, can allow a family member who needs assistance — such as an aging parent or a young adult just entering the workplace — to reside in the accessory unit.

Off-street parking requirements will have to be settled, though the landlord and tenant can share a driveway.

Commissioners could allow ADUs in neighborhoods throughout the unincorporated area or just in urban areas with access to mass transit.

“I think you should look at it countywide,” Commissioner Carol Whitmore said, noting that homeowners in rural areas have to subdivide their lots in order to build an additional home for a relative.

Glen Gibellina, who converts 160-square-foot shipping containers into small homes, urged commissioners to allow ADUs countywide. Young adults just starting in their careers do not need a lot of space, he said. Often they are coming to the county from having just lived in a college dorm.

“I am very much in favor of ADUs,” said Commissioner Misty Servia, a former county land-use planner.

Yet Servia stressed that regulations are needed to keep the units from having too many occupants, ensure parking is adequate and cars are not partially on public sidewalks and “protect existing neighborhoods” by considering privacy issues.

Setbacks from neighboring properties will have to be determined, Servia said.

To ensure the owner resides on the premises, Servia suggested that ADUs only be allowed on properties with homestead exemptions.

When Servia asked whether ADUs would be allowed on front lawns, county planners said the intent is to keep them behind the main house. County planner Kyrsten French said St. Petersburg requires ADU owners to prioritize their neighbors’ privacy over their own when locating the secondary home.

Dan said county planners intend to have a draft ordinance ready for a public hearing within a few months.