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55 <br /> ORANGE COUNTY <br /> PLANNING BOARD <br /> ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br /> Meeting Date: December 7, 2022 <br /> Action Agenda <br /> Item No. 10 <br /> SUBJECT: Unified Development Ordinance Text Amendment — Efficiency Apartment <br /> DEPARTMENT: Planning and Inspections <br /> ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT: <br /> 1. Statement of Consistency Tyler Sliger, Planner II (919) 245-2586 <br /> 2. UDO Text Amendments Cy Stober, Director (919) 245-2592 <br /> 3. Excerpt of Meeting Notes — October 5, 2022 <br /> ORC Meeting <br /> 4. Letter of Support — Orange County Aging <br /> Department <br /> 5. Letter of Support — Orange County Housing <br /> Department <br /> PURPOSE: To review and make recommendation to the Board of County Commissioners <br /> (BOCC) on County-initiated text amendments to the Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) <br /> regarding proposed revisions to the current standards for "efficiency apartments". <br /> BACKGROUND: An "efficiency apartment" is an accessory dwelling to the primary single- <br /> family dwelling on an individual property. The salient current use standards for efficiency <br /> apartments in Section 5.5.3 of the UDO are: <br /> • Maximum gross square footage of 1,000 ft. ( maximum of 800 sq. ft. can be <br /> heated/cooled), <br /> • Cannot be a mobile home, and <br /> • The efficiency unit shall remain in the same ownership as the primary residence. <br /> An efficiency apartment can give a property owner the ability to enhance their property use for <br /> additional family members or to rent to a tenant. The current size limitation of 1,000 sq. ft. for <br /> an efficiency unit can result in some property owners having to subdivide their property in <br /> order to construct a larger unit, affecting the affordability of such homes and lots due to the <br /> professional service costs and review fees in creating a new lot. The increased flexibility of the <br /> proposed amendments will also allow for greater aging-in-place and multigenerational living <br /> opportunities, as well as serving equity needs by better enabling less-resourced property <br /> owners the abilities to realize viable secondary residences for rent or use by relations without <br /> requiring subdivision of property. <br /> In September 2021, the BOCC received information from a multi-department staff group <br /> regarding expansion of affordable housing incentives and opportunities. The agenda materials <br /> can be viewed at: Housing Affordability Study. Expanded use of accessory dwelling units was <br />