From Harford County government:
County Executive Bob Cassilly issued the following statement today opposing Bill 24-001, which would allow freestanding accessory dwelling units in all residential areas of Harford County. The legislation was introduced on January 2 by County Councilman Aaron Penman (District B – Fallston).
“I strongly oppose Bill 24-001, which allows freestanding accessory dwelling units (ADUs) in all residential areas. This bill would result in a massive increase in the density of housing in all areas of the county, negatively impacting the quality of life in existing communities, reducing property values, undermining effective zoning, and overcrowding schools.
ADUs are currently allowed in Harford County but must be within or attached to an existing single-family home and occupied by a relative of the homeowner. They are allowed for the purpose of placing aged or disabled family members in a separate suite within the family home.
The intent of Bill 24-001 is to remove all the current restrictions on ADUs. The bill allows for construction of a flood of new, free standing rental houses into existing, well-established neighborhoods without regard for the negative impacts on neighboring properties, communities, or county resources.
These new residences could double existing housing densities as they consume existing lawns with freestanding units occupied by renters with no family ties to the primary residence, leading to potential noise disturbances and reduced privacy for area residents.
The bill makes responsible planning nearly impossible. Schools, water & sewer services, electric utilities, and other systems would be strained by an influx of unplanned residences. In areas with on-street parking, existing homeowners would compete with ADU residents for limited spots. Roads could become less passable for residents, emergency vehicles, and snowplows.
Potential overcrowding decreases the desirability of neighborhoods, leading to a decline in home values. ADUs rented out for short periods would likely attract residents with no connection to the community.
Harford County would be ill-served by Bill 24-001 and I urge council members to reject this ill-conceived legislation.”
I didn’t realize penman supported crap like this. Sorry i voted for this clown. A mistake i wont repeat.
Before you believe everything you read, you need to do some research. Lots of gaslighting here. There is a whole process in place before you can build an ADU. An approval from the health dept for water & sewer, the zoning board and the council all have to approve this structure. It still has to follow zoning laws which doesn’t allow for structures to be build in certain cases. You need a large enough piece of land, it cannot exceed 1500sf but not smaller then 300sf and most HOAs would not even allow them. With the strict guidelines, we do not have very many approved request for ADUs in Harford County each year. Most of the concerns listed in this article are not true and would not get approved by the county.
As someone who had built an in law suit above my garage years ago, I think this bill would be great. After my in laws moved to assisted living, I had an abandoned space which cost me a lot of money to build. According to the current laws, I could not rent this space to anyone but family. Eventually we sold the house and the new buyers had to get the approval to use the ADUs space also. Thankfully I found someone who was looking for that and it did increase the value of our home.
Sorry correction…I meant to say the County Planning & Zoning for approval, not council.
We all have family that eventually may need to be housed and offering your home, part of your home or renovating your home to accommodate them is a noble gesture. Most people who do this generally add these structures because it adds value to your existing property and instead of mom or dads money going to the nursing home to take care of them, it now is passed down to the family because the dwelling increases the value of the home where is was built.
The main issue with this is having no checks and balances to this is that all of us would like additional monthly income. Some of us don’t want our neighborhoods turned into micro housing rental communities. With the shear number of homes being purchased by private companies, these single family homes can and will be turned into de-facto multi-unit rental properties.
Maybe I will build a structure on my property and rent to section 8 renters, maybe we all should as homeowners. I am sure you would object to this if your neighbors on both sides of your property or maybe everyone on your street decided to construct rental housing on their properties and rented these buildings out.
This will open a huge pandoras box that will pin neighbor against neighbor.
If you want to rent out property to increase your income, go buy an apartment complex, elder care facility or a townhouse in Abingdon.
I read the bill, it is very clear.
https://hcgweb01.harfordcountymd.gov/Legislation/Bill/BillDetail/24-001
You can read it here as well and here is the bill is written
“to revise the definition of “accessory dwelling unit”; to allow an accessory dwelling unit to be either attached to or detached from the primary single detached dwelling unit; to remove the requirement that only a relative may occupy an accessory dwelling unit; and generally relating to zoning.”
Translation = build what you want (zoning), rent to whomever and however you want (remove the relative requirement) with basically zero restrictions.
Planning and Zoning is a joke. They don’t enforce anything correctly and this will be no exception. Their Enforcement Section is completely worthless.
The question is who does Penman think is pushing for this legislation or who put him up to it? I doubt he thought of this himself.
Developers, realitors and lawyers. Basically the Barry Glassman regime.
Harford County has a unique chance to address affordability and housing shortages by expanding the permitted uses of Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs). ADUs are small residences on a single-family lot with a larger primary dwelling, like an apartment over a detached garage. Currently restricted in size and occupancy to immediate family members, ADU structures are already permitted in Harford County.
Councilman Penman, in response to feedback from community members, stakeholders, and hardships faced by constituents due to existing ADU regulations, has proposed legislation to broaden permitted ADU practices.
The proposed legislation is driven by the significant housing supply and affordability issues that Marylanders and Harford Countians face. According to the Maryland State Comptroller, housing inventory has dropped 40% to 75% since 2022, leading to an unsustainable shortage of affordable housing. Recognizing this, Maryland has formed a task force to explore statewide ADU regulations.
Through task force participation and other resources, Councilman Penman highlights various advantages of ADUs:
1. ADUs can be used for hired caregivers.
2. Our older population can remain independent and age in place.
3. A practical opportunity for tenants seeking small, affordable-priced rental housing.
4. Generates rental income for homeowners.
5. ADUs can slow urban sprawl.
6. ADUs offer young people entry-level housing choices.
7. Provide guest housing for homeowners.
8. ADUs increase the value of your home.
9. Increased property value and rental income will increase tax revenue.
10. ADUs are typically managed by homeowners who live on the premises and are less likely to raise the rent once a valued tenant has moved in and less likely to tolerate destructive tenants.
To address concerns, measures are in place:
1. The ADU must be compliant with water and sewer (well and septic).
2. The ADU shall not exceed 1500 square feet.
3. The property owner must occupy the primary residence or ADU.
4. Each ADU must request a Zoning certificate.
5. If the property is sold, the new owner must resubmit the request for a Zoning certificate.
6. Homeowners Associations have the authority to prohibit ADUs.
A Public Hearing for Bill 24-001, Zoning- Accessory Dwelling Units, is scheduled for February 6, 2024, at 6:45 pm in the Council Chambers, providing an opportunity for community input. Your participation in the discussion, providing insights, and contributions are welcomed. Councilman Penman understands that there’s always room for improvement in all proposed legislation, and by sharing your thoughts, suggestions, and feedback, you contribute to a collaborative and inclusive conversation aimed at crafting effective and comprehensive legislation.
1. ADUs can be used for hired caregivers.
THEY WON’T BE IF THIS PASSES
2. Our older population can remain independent and age in place.
THEY CAN DO THAT WITH A REVERSE MORTGAGE OR BY
DOING WHAT MOST RETIRED PEOPLE DO, MOVE TO ANOTHER STATE TO RETIRE.
3. A practical opportunity for tenants seeking small, affordable-priced rental housing.
APARTMENT COMPLEXES ALREADY FILL THIS VOID.
4. Generates rental income for homeowners.
AND GENERATES UNWANTED NEIGHBORS AND UNWANTED RENTAL PROPERTIES AROUND SINGLE FAMILY HOMES.
5. ADUs can slow urban sprawl.
ABSOLUTE B/S. IT HASNT STOPPED ANY APARTMENT COMPLEX CONSTRUCTION IN HARFORD COUNTY WHATSOEVER. AND IT WON’T
6. ADUs offer young people entry-level housing choices.
SO DO APARTMENT COMPLEXES, STUDENT LOAN FORGIVNESS AND FIRSTIME HOMEBUYER INCINTIVES
7. Provide guest housing for homeowners.
GUEST BEDROOMS DO THAT NOW
8. ADUs increase the value of your home.
WHEN EVERYONE TURNS THEIR PROPERTIES INTO RENTALS,
YOUR HOME VALUES WILL DROP LIKE A ROCK
9. Increased property value and rental income will increase tax revenue.
ABSOLSUTE B/S, MANY WON’T REPORT THIS INCOME WHATSOVER.
10. ADUs are typically managed by homeowners who live on the premises and are less likely to raise the rent once a valued tenant has moved in and less likely to tolerate destructive tenants.
ONCE THEY ARE RENTING, IT IS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO EVICT THEM.
ASK ANYONE IN THE RENTAL BUSINESS. THEY WILL TAKE THE SECTION 8
TENANTS WHO PAY NOTHING BECUASE THAT MONEY COMES AUTOMATICALLY AND THE TENANTS HAVE ZERO STAKE IN THE PROPERTIES OR THE COMMUNITIES
To address concerns, measures are in place:
1. The ADU must be compliant with water and sewer (well and septic).
2. The ADU shall not exceed 1500 square feet.
THAT IS THE SIZE OF A SMALL SINGLE FAMILY HOME
3. The property owner must occupy the primary residence or ADU.
SO THE HOMEOWNER COULD LIVE IN THE 300SF ADU AND TURN
THEIR SINGLE FAMILY HOME INTO RENTAL PROPERTY
4. Each ADU must request a Zoning certificate.
SO WHAT
5. If the property is sold, the new owner must resubmit the request for a Zoning certificate.
SO WHAT
6. Homeowners Associations have the authority to prohibit ADUs.
SO EVERYONE THAT DOESNT HAVE AN HOA IS SCREWED ON THIS.
Define, “unwanted neighbors”
Are you psycho??…oh, so it’s not just that you want to argue about trans mental health issues, but you apparently just want to argue. Let me trigger you…unwanted neighbors would be a guy wearing lipstick that becomes unglued because someone mistakes the 6’3″ dude with a 5 o’clock shadow as a “sir”.
Would your only unwanted neighbor be trans people? So, asking for clarification of a comment, made by you, albeit under the anonymity of a pseudonym, is reason to assume I am a psychopath? I feel like your grasp of basic communication skills might not reach the level of an open forum like this one. I assure you, no one so ashamed of their opinions that they cower behind their mother’s skirt, could “trigger” me. You have a great day, Pumpkin.
non-home owners
You !
The older population cannot move to another state away from family.
That was a ridiculous statement! Reverse mortgages do not solve the problem for the older population that may need some assistance from family. Many older folks are fairly independent, requiring only minimal assistance, and don’t want to live in an assisted living or senior housing. It’s safer for these folks to be in the family’s backyard or an attached ADU.
I can see this working in limited circumstances – where the acreage to a property is big enough that adding a small unit isn’t a nuisance to neighbors. You can’t give license for every homeowner to build a tiny house in back and rent it out. What a mess that would be and once you let that genie out of the bottle there’s no turning back. Can you imagine every garage in the county being turned into housing for strangers?
I cannot imagine this whatsoever.
The real problem with this is that people knowingly and willingly constructed these in-law suites for their senior relatives to occupy. They knew full well and firsthand that when their relative eventually passed on, that they were NOT permitted to renting this space out to a non-relative.
Now after the fact, they want to gripe to Penman because their property taxes have increased, and they want to turn that space into an investment property for a non-relative. The didn’t have any problem keeping the money to build the additional space so that the nursing home wouldn’t get the money, now they want to make money on this investment by changing the rules THAT WILL AFFECT ALL OF US that they initially had to abide by in the first place when constructed.
If my neighbor or neighbors wanted to follow the current zoning and permitting process to build a space to care for one of their relatives who are elderly, sick or disabled, I could care less. With the full understanding that this is NOT a rental property for non-family renters after they pass on or move out, nor would they, the homeowner be permitted to move into the rental property and put their main home up for rent to a non-relative.
After this the push will be for multiple ADUs on a single property. This is nothing more than a gateway into the destruction of the single family home community. This is being pushed in California and in many blue areas as a way to pump as many renters and non-homeowners into typically stable communities.
One we cross this threshold, there will no no going back.
Penman must go and anyone who supports crap legislation like this.