P&Z explores affordable housing options





Expensive real estate and high property taxes are squeezing out Port Aransas and Mustang Island’s workforce, and a city commission is looking at one way to fix the problem.

The Port Aransas Planning and Zoning Commission recently discussed the concept of accessory dwelling units that could be adopted into the city’s Subdivision Ordinance.

“An accessory dwelling unit is like a mother-in-law unit, or a studio apartment,” David Parsons, planning and projects manager for Port Aransas, explained.

“We have an issue with workforce housing. Our workforce is being pushed off the island. This (ADU) would allow property owners to build a small structure in addition to a single-family residence. We’re going to try anything to give a break to housing and workforce,” Parsons said.

The P&Z Commission met for an afternoon workshop Monday, Sept. 22, to work out an ordinance for ADUs , which ultimately would be adopted by the Port Aransas City Council.

“This would allow affordable housing for the workforce in Port Aransas. We don’t qualify for federal programs and our land values are too high. A lot of communities such as San Francisco and Seattle are having the same problems. Anywhere there is an expensive, finite amount of property, you begin to price out your employees,” Becky Corder, chair of the P&Z commission, said.

Corder said the commission is working with city staff to tackle the issue of affordable housing on the island.

Adding ADUs to the city’s subdivision ordinance would allow elderly homeowners who are burdened by high ad valorem property taxes to build an extra space and rent it out long term for additional income.

The commission did not vote on the concept, but discussed it thoroughly at the workshop.

“This is brand new, something we are starting to look at, and it has not been presented to the city council. This is a way we looked at how other communities are solving the housing shortage,” Corder said.

Parsons threw out many questions concerning what Port Aransas would require if accessory dwelling units would be built in R-1 zoned neighborhoods in the city.

Part of the discussion was a list of recommendations from the American Association of Retired Persons, which studied about 50 ADU ordinances nationwide.

Some rules, for instance, would be that ADUs are secondary and accessory to a single-family dwelling unit, and that only one ADU would be allowed per principal dwelling unit and/or lot.

Another potential rule could be that an ADU’s gross living area would be no less than 300 square feet, or be greater than 25 percent of the total floor area of the principal dwelling and ADU.

But the rules at this stage would have to be worked out by the P&Z Commission and finally approved by the city council at a future date.

Corder said the commission had worked for about a year on a cottage ordinance, but dropped the project when the city council showed no interest.

“This is different from a cottage ordinance. This is an accessory to the main unit,” Parsons told the commission.

Some questions to be answered include whether the owner would be required to live in one of the structures, and how many parking spaces to allow for each ADU.

P&Z Commissioner Nick Lorette said he has requests for two-bedroom affordable housing on the island.

“Dozens of people are asking me for two bedroom units; they would be ideal for a workforce,” Lorette said.

Commissioner Betsy Churgai said the commission has been criticized in the past for working on projects and passing them up to city council only to have them “ripped apart.

“We need to get backup to make sure we do what’s accepted. It’s not at all about density, we need to be clear about this,” Churgai said.

Port Aransas Fire Marshal and Building Official Joe Lamb said local restaurants and other businesses have help wanted signs out, but have trouble in hiring employees because of the affordable housing shortage.

“You can’t build affordable housing here unless you do this, and we’ve got to do something,” Lamb said. “There are restaurants and bars everywhere on the island who have


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