Harford County Council member Aaron Penman of District B on Tuesday withdrew his proposed bill that would have permitted property owners to construct and rent small residences known as accessory dwelling units.
As County Council members convened to vote on Penman’s bill Tuesday, the Republican council member pulled the legislation after widespread pushback from the council and the public.
Accessory dwelling units are small homes equipped with a kitchen, bathroom and sleeping area, sometimes converted from existing structures, such as a garage. According to the bill, a unit must follow applicable zoning and building code requirements, and the property owner must live on the property.
The move to withdraw the legislation comes after the council approved several amendments to it that included limiting rentals of such units for a period of less than 30 days and reducing the maximum size of units to 1,200 square feet.
Although Penman withdrew his bill, he left the door open to potentially reintroducing the legislation later in the year.
“I want to thank everyone that has provided valuable input,” Penman said on Tuesday. “The bill’s not there — obviously, we have some things to discuss and once we discussed them, we’ll decide if it gets reintroduced or not.”
Throughout the bill’s consideration, Penman pointed out how accessory units can help older adults remain independent by allowing them to live near their caregivers. The District B council member also promoted the financial benefits of accessory units, saying they could generate rental income for homeowners, and slow urban sprawl in the county.
At last month’s council meeting, several members voiced their disapproval of Penman’s bill due to the legislation’s complexity. County Council President Patrick Vincenti abstained from last month’s vote on several amendments because of the number of modifications added to the original bill.
“It seems like if the bill needs to have this much work done to it, that many amendments, it just speaks volumes to me,” Vincenti said at the February meeting.
Meanwhile, District C Council member Tony Giangiordano, a Republican, has been has been vocal in his opposition to accessory dwelling units since the bill was introduced. He lauded the move to pull the bill. At last month’s council meeting, Giangiordano railed against Penman’s legislation saying accessory dwelling units would reduce property values and would not be consistent with planned residential communities.
“I definitely was not for that bill,” Giangiordano said on Tuesday.
Harford County Executive Bob Cassilly, a Republican, penned a letter voicing his disapproval of the legislation. In the letter, Cassilly outlined the financial impact and negative effects on communities if the bill were to be approved.
“As ADUs proliferate, a tipping point will be reached whereby all taxpayers and system-users will bear the costs of increased housing density,” Cassilly said in his letter. “Bill 24-001 would immediately increase the allowable density of residential properties in Harford County, resulting in significant known and unknown costs and other impacts affecting all residents and taxpayers countywide.”