ADU rules in Georgetown

Georgetown's zoning ordinance has no accessory dwelling unit use. In the R-1A, R-1B and R-1C single-family districts the only accessory buildings allowed are 'garages or other buildings not used as a dwelling or business' (§4.3.2.3.a, carried into R-1B, R-1C, R-2 and R-3), and §2.4.5 allows only one principal building per lot outside an approved planned development. A residential building behind the main house needs Planning Commission approval of a development plan (§2.6.4.2, §2.9.5, multiple principal structures), which is a discretionary second-principal-dwelling process subject to the district's use and density rules, not a backyard-cottage permit. The A-1 Agricultural district (rare inside city limits) lists a 'secondary single-family residence on same tract for related family members or for hired farm workers' as a Board of Adjustment conditional use.

There is no attached or internal ADU use either. The only route to a second unit inside or attached to a house is a duplex (defined in §2.1 as 'a structure containing two dwelling units, each of which has direct access to the outside'), which is a permitted use only in R-2 Medium Density Residential (§4.3.5.1.b) and R-3 High Density Residential (§4.3.6.1.a, all residential uses meeting lot dimension standards), subject to the Schedule of Dimension and Area Regulations and the 12 (R-2) or 16 (R-3) units per gross acre density caps. R-1A, R-1B and R-1C permit only single-family dwellings; R-1B and R-1C (and R-2, R-3) do allow renting up to three sleeping rooms as an accessory use, but a sleeping room by definition lacks separate housekeeping and is not a dwelling unit.

Because the city ordinance does not recognize accessory dwelling units, it sets no ADU floor-area cap. A duplex in R-2 or R-3 is governed only by the district's lot area, setback, coverage and height standards in the separate Schedule of Dimension and Area Regulations. The 50 percent and 1,250 sq ft caps reported for Georgetown-Scott County belong to the Scott County edition (§2.5.17 Accessory Housing) and do not apply inside city limits, where §2.5.17 is printed as '(RESERVED)'.

Nothing in the city ordinance requires an owner to live in either unit of a duplex in R-2 or R-3, the only route to a second unit on a lot. Owner residency appears only in the bed and breakfast rules, which are a separate lodging use.

Zoning Ordinance §2.7.1.3 sends parking standards to the Subdivision & Development Regulations. Exhibit 9 of those regulations (city edition, through City Ord. 26-09, 6-8-2026) has no duplex or ADU line; a unit in a two-unit building fits the 'Apartment' row (1.5 spaces for a studio or 1 bedroom, 2.5 for 2 or more bedrooms), while a single-family detached house needs 2 spaces (2 or 3 bedrooms) or 3 (4 or more). The Board of Adjustment interprets parking for uses not listed (§2.7.1.2.a, §2.7.1.3.a.i), so the figure for a duplex conversion is a reading, not a stated rule.

Where a second unit is possible at all (a duplex in R-2 or R-3), it is a permitted use handled by zoning compliance and a building permit, with no Board of Adjustment hearing. A detached second dwelling behind a house would need Planning Commission approval of a development plan (§2.6.4.2, §2.9.5), and the A-1 family or farm-worker secondary residence needs a Board of Adjustment conditional use permit; neither is an ADU route in the ordinary residential districts.

The city has no long-term rental licensing in its Code of Ordinances. Short-term rentals (under 30 consecutive days) must be registered annually with the Georgetown-Scott County Revenue Commission ($25, City Code §§24-61, 24-62, with proof of zoning compliance) and pay transient room tax; occupancy is capped at two adults per bedroom plus two, ten persons maximum. Zoning Ordinance §2.5.9 permits un-hosted whole-unit home sharing in A-1, A-5, R-1A to R-3 and B-3 and prohibits short-term rentals in all other districts; City Code §24-66(2) bars short-term rental of 'any area not considered a primary dwelling (i.e. recreational vehicles, tents, garages, boats, etc.)'.