The City of Waynesboro’s Planning Commission will hold a public hearing on Tuesday night to hear input from the public on amending zoning to allow for cottage-type housing in some areas of the city.
The move comes as Waynesboro looks to expand its housing options and inventory of affordable housing for residents.
Waynesboro Director of Community Development Leslie Tate submitted a draft ordinance for the text amendments to the Planning Commission on Aug. 20.
“The creation of the cottage housing ordinance is in recognition of the fact that zoning and land use decisions and regulations have impacts on housing prices,” Tate told AFP.
“The more flexibility and variability in housing types and subdivision requirements, the more able the market to respond to housing needs at various price points.”
Tate said the city has not received any cottage housing applications at this time.
The city has heard from non-profits, developers, housing experts and citizens about the need to provide more affordable workforce housing, she said.
The impetus for the rezoning could be, in part, that if the rezoning is approved, it would allow for cottage housing in the streamside development area of a planned unit development approved by City Council in August. The PUD was green lighted for up to 400 residential units on the old District Home property at Hopeman Parkway and Duke Road.
Waynesboro City Council and the Waynesboro Planning Commission held a joint meeting this summer to receive a presentation on cottage housing. Cottage housing refers to a cluster of small residences with 800- to 1500-square-feet per home. A parking lot would likely be nearby that homeowners would utilize.
Tate told members of both governing bodies that cottage-style housing would give property owners more options for infill lots. Instead of one single-family house, a developer could build four to 12 new units in the same area, she said.
In her presentation, Tate said cottage housing might be ideal for those wishing to downsize, a single-person household or single-parent household as well as those who might want to live in a more tight-knit community
The public hearing before the Planning Commission will take place Sept. 17 at 7 p.m. at City Hall at 503 W. Main St.
The matter is tentatively scheduled to go before Waynesboro City Council on Monday, Oct. 14.
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Crystal Graham
