The Georgetown City Council approved the second reading of amendments to the city’s code related to accessory dwelling units, accessory residential structures and workforce housing with a 6-1 vote at its meeting March 8. Council Member Rachael Jonrowe was the dissenting vote. 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 council originally postponed the amendments Sept. 8 to gather additional information. The council had a workshop discussion Oct. 27 and approved the first reading at its Jan. 12 meeting. The changes approved Jan. 12 included allowing the maximum height of an accessory structure to be either 17 feet or the same as the primary structure—whichever is less. However, City Council Member Steve Fought made a motion to amend the maximum height to be the same as the primary structure and strike the 17-foot maximum. Fought said the language was an “undue restriction” on property owners. Council Member Anna Eby and Jonrowe voted against Fought's amendment, which passed with a 5-2 vote. “I think a lot of thought went into the proposal,” Jonrowe said. “I think the two-story accessory structures are the exception to the rule. … I cannot support going higher than 17 feet.” The amendments also limit the use of accessory dwellings as rental units to owner-occupied properties, further defines an accessory dwelling unit and requires three off-street parking spaces, Georgetown Planning Director Sofia Nelson said. Jonrowe said she wants the council to think about how to address short-term rentals as well. “Most people are thinking about long-term rentals,” she said. “I would like to see us having a workshop on what the current regulations are that would or would not apply to short-term rentals. … I think we need to get into the weeds a little on that topic.” The amendments also addressed workforce housing and housing diversity, including ways to incentivize workforce housing and diverse housing types. The changes clarify standards in the city code to increase the units per building and reduce the front setbacks from the street. They changes also increase allowable impervious cover and revise existing fee waivers for workforce housing developments up to a maximum of $100,000. Workforce housing developments are defined in the code as housing available for households with incomes less than or equal to 80 percent of the area median family income, or AMFI, which is $76,800 in the Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos Metropolitan Statistical Area. Council Member Keith Brainard said the workforce housing amendments would help provide more income for homeowners and offer low-cost housing inside the city limits, which could assist students and senior citizens.