Manvel City Council unanimously approved a new ordinance laying out regulations for accessory dwelling units, or ADUs, capping off several months of work and discussions from city officials.

An ADU is a smaller, independent residential dwelling unit on the same lot as a single-family home, according to the American Planning Association.

What you need to know

The new ordinance provides a number of new definitions and restrictions, according to city documents. Those include the following:

• ADUs can’t be leased or rented out.
• Only one ADU is allowed in addition to an existing single-family home and other accessory structures.
• There can be no separate utility meters.
• The address of the unit will be the same as the principal structure.
• The size is limited depending on the type of structure of the ADU.

The ordinance lays out restrictions on who can inhabit the ADUs as well, limiting them to the family of those in the main home on the property, according to the ordinance. However, guests can stay for up to one week.

Home types such as mobile homes, manufactured homes and recreational vehicles are not considered ADUs.

How we got here

Manvel Mayor Dan Davis said Aug. 21 he has heard from residents who are interested in being able to keep family close to them. That, combined with rising housing prices in the area, mean additions like ADUs can provide such a path in a financially feasible way, he said.

Homeowners caring for elderly family members, as well as more younger adults living with their parents, were motivations behind the decision as well, according to city documents.

Still, some, such as council member Keith Bonner, were concerned about the ordinance. Bonner said he didn’t see a path to it being enforced fully, and listed other bigger issues, such as short-term rentals in town, that he felt needed to be addressed. Despite the worries, he voted in favor of approval.

However, Davis, as well as council member Harry Opliger, said they felt the pros of the ordinance outweighed the cons.

"I believe in my family, and I want to take care of my family,” Opliger said. “And I think there’s a lot of folks out there that are going to do the same.”

Stay tuned

With the ordinance now in place, city officials will turn to laying out parameters for permits and the fees associated with them.

City Manager Dan Johnson said an item on that could come as soon as the city’s next council meeting, which is scheduled for Sept. 3.