Montgomery County zoning: Council wants to change zoning throughout the county to multi-family

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

People who live on a tiny lot are not the ones who are going to build ADU. It's the folks who live on an acre in Potomac who are more likely to build ADUs.

No one on the 1 -2 acre lots is going to build an ADU and invite low income people to live in Potomac. Please stop smoking bee pollen. Retiree's in Potomac change their residency to Florida to avoid taxes or sell and move into expensive condos somewhere. Developers may build more THs there but they will be luxury TH for divorced wealthy people or young families seeking the Churchill cluster. None of them will be low income or even close to it.

"invite low income people to live in Potomac"? It's a rental unit, not a party.

Mind you, I don't think that there will be very many people on one-acre lots in Potomac who will add an ADU, but that's mainly because I don't think that there are very many people who want to live in an ADU on a one-acre lot in Potomac.

[Anonymous]

If nobody wants to build an ADU, let’s just cancel the legislation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If nobody wants to build an ADU, let’s just cancel the legislation.

"probably not many people who live on one acre in Potomac want to build an ADU" =/= "nobody wants to build an ADU"

[Anonymous]

Someone said no one will put an ADU on a tiny lot followed by someone saying no one will build on a big lot. So if no one wants to build let’s forget the whole thing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Someone said no one will put an ADU on a tiny lot followed by someone saying no one will build on a big lot. So if no one wants to build let’s forget the whole thing.

Nobody said that nobody will.

But if it turns out that actually nobody does, then good news! you panicked for nothing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Someone said no one will put an ADU on a tiny lot followed by someone saying no one will build on a big lot. So if no one wants to build let’s forget the whole thing.

Nobody said that nobody will.

But if it turns out that actually nobody does, then good news! you panicked for nothing.

If no one is going to build an ADU, then why is MoCo making all these efforts? Typical MoCo. Ill-planned policies and acts surprised when things go wrong.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Someone said no one will put an ADU on a tiny lot followed by someone saying no one will build on a big lot. So if no one wants to build let’s forget the whole thing.

Nobody said that nobody will.

But if it turns out that actually nobody does, then good news! you panicked for nothing.

If no one is going to build an ADU, then why is MoCo making all these efforts? Typical MoCo. Ill-planned policies and acts surprised when things go wrong.

To repeat: NOBODY HAS SAID THAT NO ONE IS GOING TO BUILD AN ADU.

Though if no one is going to build an ADU, then why are people running around saying that this will ruin property values, bring in riff raff, and force hardworking residents to move to Howard County? Typical MoCo.

[Anonymous]

I watched the AM session of the council's worksession on this issue on You Tube. It did seem that several of the members were trying to make the point that probably very few people would actually be able to do this due to structure coverage rules. However, if you look at some of the examples the planning board put out, it seems that plenty of people would qualify to do this. And these structures have different setback requirements than an addition. A principal residence cannot be closer to the back of the property than 20 feet, while a one story detached ADU can be 12 feet away. Also, the detached ADU does not have the same stormwater management requirements that an addition has which I thought was based on state environmental rules. So I don't know why they would be exempt.

https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/COUNCIL/Resources/Files/packet/ADUPlanningPresentation.pdf

Note: R-60 means a standard lot is 6,000 sq ft and R-90 means standard is 9,000 sq ft. However, your lot probably isn't standard as many of those lots predate standards. Your lot could be much larger or much smaller than the standard.

https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/council/ondemand/index.html
The above link will take you to a link to video of the July 9 council meeting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I watched the AM session of the council's worksession on this issue on You Tube. It did seem that several of the members were trying to make the point that probably very few people would actually be able to do this due to structure coverage rules. However, if you look at some of the examples the planning board put out, it seems that plenty of people would qualify to do this. And these structures have different setback requirements than an addition. A principal residence cannot be closer to the back of the property than 20 feet, while a one story detached ADU can be 12 feet away. Also, the detached ADU does not have the same stormwater management requirements that an addition has which I thought was based on state environmental rules. So I don't know why they would be exempt.

https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/COUNCIL/Resources/Files/packet/ADUPlanningPresentation.pdf

Note: R-60 means a standard lot is 6,000 sq ft and R-90 means standard is 9,000 sq ft. However, your lot probably isn't standard as many of those lots predate standards. Your lot could be much larger or much smaller than the standard.

https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/council/ondemand/index.html
The above link will take you to a link to video of the July 9 council meeting.

Except that if you have an older home, your setbacks are grandfathered in. Most of my neighbors have sheds that are right on the border line of someone else's property which could easily be converted into ADUs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I watched the AM session of the council's worksession on this issue on You Tube. It did seem that several of the members were trying to make the point that probably very few people would actually be able to do this due to structure coverage rules. However, if you look at some of the examples the planning board put out, it seems that plenty of people would qualify to do this. And these structures have different setback requirements than an addition. A principal residence cannot be closer to the back of the property than 20 feet, while a one story detached ADU can be 12 feet away. Also, the detached ADU does not have the same stormwater management requirements that an addition has which I thought was based on state environmental rules. So I don't know why they would be exempt.

https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/COUNCIL/Resources/Files/packet/ADUPlanningPresentation.pdf

Note: R-60 means a standard lot is 6,000 sq ft and R-90 means standard is 9,000 sq ft. However, your lot probably isn't standard as many of those lots predate standards. Your lot could be much larger or much smaller than the standard.

https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/council/ondemand/index.html
The above link will take you to a link to video of the July 9 council meeting.

Except that if you have an older home, your setbacks are grandfathered in. Most of my neighbors have sheds that are right on the border line of someone else's property which could easily be converted into ADUs.

I don't know how that works and wasn't able to find any info on the website.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Someone said no one will put an ADU on a tiny lot followed by someone saying no one will build on a big lot. So if no one wants to build let’s forget the whole thing.

Nobody said that nobody will.

But if it turns out that actually nobody does, then good news! you panicked for nothing.

If no one is going to build an ADU, then why is MoCo making all these efforts? Typical MoCo. Ill-planned policies and acts surprised when things go wrong.

There must be developers pushing for this behind the scenes. Or else, maybe CASA de Maryland is somehow involved. Someone stands to make money from this and that’s why they’re pushing it through so aggressively.

[Anonymous]

I for one am adding an ADU (well technically the only owner did but never made it legal). Can’t wait to generate income from renting the basement apartment...

[Anonymous]

*old not only

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I for one am adding an ADU (well technically the only owner did but never made it legal). Can’t wait to generate income from renting the basement apartment...

Why can't you do this already? If you have a basement apartment, bring it up to code and you can easily rent it. In MoCo, you can make a good amount of money. Post on Craigslist or NextDoor and you'll get a ton of responses. And, get the rental license.

You don't need to wait for the new zoning law.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

People who live on a tiny lot are not the ones who are going to build ADU. It's the folks who live on an acre in Potomac who are more likely to build ADUs.

No one on the 1 -2 acre lots is going to build an ADU and invite low income people to live in Potomac. Please stop smoking bee pollen. Retiree's in Potomac change their residency to Florida to avoid taxes or sell and move into expensive condos somewhere. Developers may build more THs there but they will be luxury TH for divorced wealthy people or young families seeking the Churchill cluster. None of them will be low income or even close to it.

Does it have to be for low income people?

In any case, I still don't think the "poorer" areas with tiny lots have the room or money to build an ADU on those lots.