The Martin County Local Planning Agency on Dec. 4 unanimously recommended approval of two related text amendments to the county’s comprehensive plan and land development regulations that would expand where accessory dwelling units, or ADUs, are allowed and introduce a new category called employee dwelling units (EDUs).

Planner Amy Offenbach, with the Martin County Growth Management Department, told the panel that the comprehensive plan amendment (CPA 25-04) would update Chapter 2 definitions and add policies in Chapter 4 to set ADU criteria and permit EDUs where nonresidential properties allow living quarters. She said staff recommends approval, calling the proposals “consistent with the comprehensive plan and state statutes.” The amendments will require three legislative public hearings: tonight’s Local Planning Agency meeting, a transmittal hearing before the Board of County Commissioners on Dec. 9, 2025, and a final BCC hearing in January 2026.

Why it matters: County staff and local advocates said the changes are intended to increase housing options amid local affordability pressures. Rob Ranieri, CEO of House of Hope, told the panel, “This ADU ordinance will be a valuable tool” to add housing inventory for households seeking lower-rent options. Resident Nick Berkeley said he supported the idea and asked whether future adjustments might allow tiny homes and different size standards.

Key details: Under the proposed comprehensive plan language, ADUs would be framed as living quarters accessory to single-family dwellings. The ordinance text would replace the existing term “guesthouse” with “accessory dwelling unit,” add “employee dwelling unit” for living quarters on nonresidential properties, and allow ADUs to be rented. Staff explained that ADUs will be permitted in all residential zoning districts that allow single-family homes, except mobile-home districts; EDUs would be allowed on nonresidential lots where the underlying land use or zoning permits living quarters. The proposal also reconciles conflicting code language by standardizing the definition of “family” where applicable (equalizing parallel code provisions so that the definition allowing five unrelated persons applies consistently).

Infrastructure and capacity: Board members raised questions about sewage and water capacity. Staff said on-site sewage permitting is handled by the Martin County health department under state rules and pointed to language in the comprehensive plan that references a 2,000-gallons-per-day limit for a single property; staff said permitting and ERC (equivalent residential connection) calculations, along with built-in system cushions, mean county sewer capacity is not expected to be a barrier for the types of ADUs contemplated. Staff also clarified that ADUs would be treated as part of the primary single-family dwelling for capacity accounting and thus would not be added separately to the county’s residential capacity totals.

Limits and use: The panel was told a single-family dwelling may have one ADU (attached or detached). EDUs are a separate category for nonresidential properties and may be limited by lot size and development standards; staff gave examples such as a self-storage facility that includes a full residence above a portion of the building. The draft ordinance would also allow EDUs and ADUs to be rented, and it prohibits a single lot from having both an ADU and an EDU occupying the same accessory function.

Votes and next steps: The Local Planning Agency voted to recommend CPA 25-04 (comprehensive plan text amendment) to the Board of County Commissioners; the motion passed unanimously. The panel then reviewed LDR 25-03 (the corresponding land development regulation text amendment) and again voted unanimously to recommend approval. Both items will proceed to the Board of County Commissioners for the transmittal hearing on Dec. 9, 2025, and a later final hearing in January 2026.

The planning director and staff encouraged members to monitor advertised items and availability for future hearings; the Local Planning Agency adjourned after brief closing remarks.