Pasco County OKs accessory dwelling units. 1 commissioner isn’t happy.

WESLEY CHAPEL — Pasco County adopted an ordinance allowing accessory dwelling units, but the decision didn’t come without some serious debate, especially from one of the idea’s earliest supporters.District 3 Commissioner Kathryn Starkey, a longtime advocate of ADUs as a tool to increase affordable housing, cast the lone “no” vote in a 5-1 decision.Her opposition wasn’t to the concept, but rather the approved size of the ADUs. She argued that the ordinance’s allowance of 1,200 square feet — with a special exception, landowners could even exceed that limit — strays too far from the intent of what an accessory dwelling should be.Starkey, who originally argued that 800 square feet should be the limit, favored no more than 900-square-foot ADUs.“I think 1,200 square feet is a house, not an ADU,” she said. “That’s not an accessory.”ADUs, sometimes known as garage apartments, in-law suites or tiny houses, are being championed statewide as a creative solution to Florida’s growing affordable housing crisis. But how big is too big?That’s the question Starkey pushed throughout the debate.A 1,200-square-foot limit, with potential for even larger units through special exceptions, was too far for Starkey.“I just think we’re opening up a can of worms,” Starkey said, fearing an influx of family compounds.The commissioners’ vote could be rendered moot by legislation currently making its way through the Florida House and Senate (Bills 247 and 184, respectively) that would require all local governments to adopt rules allowing ADUs as part of their affordable housing strategy.It is unclear whether the final wording will affect the county’s ordinance or force it to come back and amend it.District 5 Commissioner Jack Mariano felt as strongly about allowing the 1,200-square-foot limit to remain in the ordinance as Starkey did about reducing it.The commissioners used dueling emails to make their points.Mariano’s email from a local designer encouraged the county to look at Hernando County’s 2012 ordinance that allows ADUs up to 50% of the size of the main home. That means a 2,400-square-foot house could have a 1,200-square-foot ADU, in line with Pasco’s proposal.“It’s been tried and tested for 13 years out there and has worked pretty well,” Mariano said.Starkey responded by reading a text from an “expert” that said, “I would not put a minimum on it, but if you need a maximum, I would put it at 800 feet.”District 2 Commissioner Seth Weightman, who represents mostly Wesley Chapel and Land O’ Lakes, supported the larger size, saying it reduces red tape and gives homeowners more control over their property.Starkey also raised concerns about parking, suggesting the ordinance should require additional driveways for ADUs to avoid overcrowding front lawns with cars.“We’re not going backwards in this county,” she said. “We’re supposed to be premier, and I can show you house after house in my district where there’s no yard because it’s all cars parking in the front yard.”But Weightman pushed back, arguing that the cars will be there either way, because additional kids or older family members can’t afford to live anywhere else. The ADUs merely provide more comfortable living space and reduce “cramming,” he said.County Attorney Jeffrey Steinsnyder added that the pending House bill would disallow the ability to increase the parking requirements for an ADU.Some of the other boundaries established by the ordinance include:- No short-term rentals: ADUs cannot be used as short-term rentals or Airbnbs. They could go through the county’s existing process for rental properties for longer-term rentals. The state is also working on bills that would completely prohibit ADUs as short-term rentals. - Impact fees: Units under 500 square feet would be exempt from impact fees. Those between 500 and 900 square feet get a discount. Anything above 900 square feet pays full fees. - Foundation requirements: ADUs must be mostly built on permanent, fixed foundations and meet Florida Building Code standards. This is primarily to prevent trailers or mobile homes from being used as ADUs. - Zoning and setbacks: Setbacks for ADUs should meet the standards of the current zoning of the property. - Size relationship: The ADUs must be smaller than the principal unit on the property. - Flood zones: The ordinance initially included a rule that an ADU cannot be built in a Federal Emergency Management Agency flood zone, but that was removed at Mariano’s request, since much of his west Pasco district, including everyone living west of U.S. 19, falls within these zones.As the debate continued, commissioners leaned on personal anecdotes to bolster their cases.District 4 Commissioner Lisa Yeager said she recently enlisted an architect for an ADU for her mother, and 900 square feet seemed small because her mother wanted space to entertain friends.Mariano noted his parents live in 1,200-square-foot condos and find them to be the perfect size.Starkey pointed to her daughter’s rental — a two-bedroom, 700-square-foot home in New Port Richey — and argued it was more than enough space.Starkey said the bigger ADUs aren’t needed; Mariano said it’s not a matter of need, it’s a matter of want.“It is America. If someone does have a big house and they want to add on to it, what do we really care if they do it at 900 or 1,200 square feet?” he said.Commissioners Ron Oakley and Lisa Yeager initially agreed with Starkey about the 900-square-foot limit, with special exceptions, but appeared to be won over by Mariano’s arguments.Starkey appeared frustrated, sidelined in a conversation she helped start.“I’m the one who pushed for ADUs, and this has just been stolen into ‘let’s just wreck the county.’ That’s my opinion,” she said. “I’m a very big proponent of ADUs, and I’ve studied them a lot, and they’re not 1,200 feet. So you’re just going around someone building another house. I just will not vote for 1,200 feet. I’m just embarrassed.”

Pasco County OKs accessory dwelling units. 1 commissioner isn’t happy.

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