Georgetown City Council approved the first reading of amendments to the city’s unified development code, or UDC, related to accessory dwelling units during the council’s Jan. 12 meeting.

Accessory dwelling units, also referred to as guest homes or garage apartments, are separate attached or detached units that include full kitchens and living quarters.

The amendments were originally proposed with other UDC changes presented to City Council Sept. 8; however, the council voted to postpone the accessory dwelling unit changes to gather additional information.

The council had a workshop discussion about accessory structures Oct. 27 where council members directed staff to review proposed building height standards and rear yard building setback requirements, Georgetown Planning Director Sofia Nelson said.

The original proposed changes included allowing the maximum height of an accessory structure to be the same as the main building. In the residential zoning, buildings can be up to 35 feet tall. The city codes previously stated accessory structures could be a maximum of 15 feet tall.

The new amendment would set the maximum height at either 17 feet or the maximum height of the primary structure—whichever is less.

“The current proposal allows the opportunity to match the [accessory structure] roof pitch to the pitch of the primary structure,” Nelson said. “It allows for a two-car garage with attic storage space and prevents an accessory structure from exceeding the height of the main structure.”

The changes also limit the use of accessory dwellings as rental units to owner-occupied properties, further defines an accessory dwelling unit and requires a minimum of three off-street parking spaces, she said.

Property owners intending to rent out a unit will need to get a special-use permit, or SUP, from the city to do so, Nelson said.

Several residents spoke against the UDC amendments citing concerns about enforcement and the accessory dwelling unit definition, which says the units are “intended to be integrated into primarily single-family neighborhoods to provide housing alternatives for a variety of age groups and income levels with minimal impact on the character of the neighborhood while providing income for the homeowner living in the primary residence.”

Old Town resident Ross Hunter said the definition is more a social policy and “almost feels like careless language.”

He said allowing accessory structures to be rented out would change the meaning of single-family zoning.

Council member Rachael Jonrowe moved to strike the language from the definition, however, the motion failed for lack of a second.

Georgetown resident Taylor Kidd said he was in favor of the amendments because it would allow more housing choices.

Council voted 6-1 to approve the amendments with Council Member Ty Gipson voting against the changes. The council could vote on the second reading of the ordinance at its Jan. 26 meeting.