If the kids want to build a "grandma flat" next to their house for her and grandpa, the Fayette County Planning Department is trying to streamline and clarify the permitting process.
A chapter in the Fayette County zoning code about accessory uses for properties is up for preliminary approval by the Area Plan Commission on Feb. 26. It's part of a major rewriting and reorganization of the code that Planning Director Bill MacDaniel wants to complete before retiring on Dec. 31.
For this meeting, MacDaniel has rewritten part of the zoning code that applies to adding a second residential building to a lot with an existing home. After discussing the changes with members of the Area Plan Commission in January, the group decided to consider passing the revision during its upcoming meeting. They'll listen to public comments before voting.
The Area Plan Commission and Board of Zoning Appeals govern countywide, including inside Connersville city limits.
Changes to the zoning code section on accessory uses will be considered. Among other provisions, it spells out requirements for allowing a second residence to be built on a property. It would include making a garage into an apartment – sometimes called a "grandma flat" – or constructing an addition to the main house, or building a second, smaller house.
In the past few years, starting with the COVID outbreak in 2020, more people are interested in providing a residence for parents or other relatives next to their own home, MacDaniel said. It's partly because people were less likely to place a relative in a care facility during the pandemic, and partly because of the rising cost of housing and rentals, he said.
The current zoning code does not adequately define accessory dwellings. When someone wants to add an apartment or a second structure on a lot, there is no guidance for what is acceptable. It's a gray area, MacDaniel said, leaving the Planning Department's decision on whether to allow a building subject to interpretation and potential lawsuits.
The new code would fix that, he said, by allowing the owner of a house to add a secondary dwelling that must be smaller than the original and constructed to the applicable building code. The owner of the primary residence would be required to continue living on the same property.
The new zoning chapter on accessory uses would also affect requirements for swimming pools. Mostly, said MacDaniel, it will be a reorganization of the existing zoning code to make it easier to use.
MacDaniel said the existing zoning code predates his 22-year tenure as planning director by about 10 years. Some of the language is close to 100 years old and no longer applies. He has been reviewing it section by section with the Area Plan Commission for about two years.
For more information about revisions to the zoning code, contact MacDaniel at his office in the lower level of the courthouse, 401 Central Ave., by email at bmacdaniel@co.fayette.in.us, or phone, 765-825-9808.
The APC meeting will start at 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 26, in City Hall, 500 Central Ave. It's open to the public and will be livestreamed on CTV3's YouTube channel, where the video will be available for later viewing.
Immediately following the APC meeting, at 6:30 p.m., the Board of Zoning Appeals will consider a request to put ground-mounted satellite dishes in a fenced area at 402 Oak St. The BZA will consider whether that should be allowed as a special exception to the property's multifamily residential zoning classification. The BZA will hear public comments about the proposal before voting.
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