Council reviews proposed ADU rules, cites state septic code and 30,000-sq.-ft. threshold

The Mayfield Town Council and a planning-commission representative reviewed proposed rules for accessory dwelling units (ADUs) and discussed how state septic-system requirements affect eligibility. Steve, a member of the planning commission, urged the council to keep an explicit reference to the health department’s role and flagged that the administrative code R317-4-13 dictates septic-system sizing in some cases.

Steve said a conservative reading of the code would require a 30,000-square-foot lot to accommodate an additional septic system under certain soil classifications, while a more favorable soil type (soil type 2) could lower the requirement to about 15,000 square feet per septic system. “We took the administrative code number R317-4-13,” Steve said, and asked that the council consider soil-type and replacement-field calculations when setting lot-size language.

Council members discussed redundancy in the draft and asked staff to circulate Steve’s suggested edits. The council indicated a preference to retain the language that makes clear the health department must approve any septic system for an accessory building, then review the language again at the public hearing already scheduled for the next council meeting.

What happens next: staff will share the planning commission’s redline edits and the council will revisit the ADU language during the public hearing at the next meeting. The proposal remains under review; no final adoption or vote occurred at this meeting.