While County Executive Elrich is not opposed to accessory dwelling units (ADUs), he is opposed to this zoning text amendment (ZTA) for several reasons. You can read his testimony in full at the bottom of post.

Interestingly, Elrich points out that the changes made from the previous effort to encourage ADUs just went into effect in October of last year, so it is too early to see its effect and Councilmember Hans Riemer is jumping the gun in calling the previous legislation a failure.

Additionally, the ZTA does nothing to encourage more ADUs in areas near transit where we higher density and thus isn’t smart growth. Nor are there any tests or been any effort to make sure that existing streets and other infrastructure can accommodate them.

Most importantly to Elrich, a huge advocate for affordable housing, ADUs won’t serve the population that needs affordable housing. As the proposed ZTA eliminates the current cap on the maximum size of ADUs, the ZTA actually encourages the construction of larger ADUs with higher rents.