Posts tagged Accessory Dwellings
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Small size, big impact: Why accessory apartments matter
Accessory apartments (also known as Accessory Dwelling Units, ADUs, and other names) seem like a small fix, especially given the magnitude of the housing shortage and the urgency of national politics. Why should anyone care? What role do accessory apartments play in creating a more equitable, livable world? Keep reading…
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Montgomery County just made it easier to build an accessory apartment
On Tuesday, Montgomery County amended its zoning laws to make it easier to build accessory apartments. After a year of research and about six months of discussion, the County Council unanimously approved ZTA 19-01 on Accessory Dwelling Units, which loosens restrictions for homeowners who want to build additional dwellings such as English basements or “granny flats.” Keep reading…
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What Montgomery County can learn from DC’s accessory apartment policy
Montgomery County is debating a change to its zoning rules that would make it easier to build accessory apartments, also known as Accessory Dwelling Units or ADUs. What impact would such a change have on the area? Thankfully, we can look at our neighbors in DC for clues, since the city passed a similar rule change in 2016. Keep reading…
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Why local affordable housing orgs want to expand accessory apartments in Montgomery County
Like much of the United States, Montgomery County is facing a critical housing shortage. Finding healthy, affordable housing near jobs and transit is extremely difficult for many people at varying income levels. But new legislation could help. Keep reading…
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The Post published an anti-accessory apartment letter with racist & classist claims
On Sunday, June 16, the Washington Post published a letter to the editor from Gaithersburg resident Katherine Gugulis that is riddled with racist and classist assertions. Gugulis was protesting the county’s proposed plan to loosen restrictions on building accessory apartments (also known as Accessory Dwelling Units, Auxiliary Dwelling Units, or ADUs). Keep reading…
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Four things accessory apartment opponents said at Montgomery County’s hearing, and why that’s wrong
We’ve written a lot lately about accessory apartments like English basements and granny flats—why they're an important affordable housing tool, how to build them, and how onerous regulations could be changing in Montgomery County. The council is expected to vote later this month. Keep reading…
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Accessory apartments in Montgomery County: Still looking for the secret sauce
While thousands of words have been devoted to writing about accessory dwelling units (ADUs) on GGWash, we have yet to see a Renaissance of this housing type in our region. Why not? The answer varies between jurisdictions, but in Montgomery County, Councilmember Hans Riemer is tinkering with the policy works to see if he can improve output. Keep reading…
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How to build an accessory apartment from start to finish
“Where do I even start?!” is the first question I hear from people when it comes to building accessory apartments, also known as Additional Dwelling Units or ADUs. Here's a step-by-step list outlining how to bring your accessory apartment from dream to reality. Keep reading…
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10 things to look for if you’re considering creating an accessory apartment
You may be familiar with the typical “English basement,” an apartment at the bottom of a rowhouse that's particularly popular with interns and small families in DC. They’ve been around for decades, but now they’re gaining even more popularity as the result of housing shortage and other market realities, as well as the desire to live in close-knit communities. Keep reading…
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Events: What makes for good or bad transit?
If you read this site, odds are that you, ahem, have opinions about transit. But do you have “An Opinionated Atlas of US Transit” with which to catalog all of your observations and ideas? Well, you could after you join the Coalition for Smarter Growth and Island Press for a talk with Christof Spieler. Keep reading…