County Eliminates Minimum Home Size Limits

    The price of housing has skyrocketed in Lake County in recent years, leaving area governments seeking ways to create affordable residential options for county residents. On Tuesday, August 8, the Lake County Commission moved to increase options for people looking to create affordable housing options.
   The commission voted to remove its limitations on house sizes, revoking decades-old requirements on minimum housing size. Those rules included requirements that homes be no less than 23 feet and four inches wide. Tuesday's vote creates new flexibility for the construction of homes of any size, including the building of 'tiny homes' in the county, which are identified as homes under 400 square feet.
   All other requirements remain in effect.
   "This is just going to allow people to get more creative," said commissioner Josh Blake, who had forwarded the idea of opening up the county to smaller home sizes. Blake said there are recent trends toward 'cottage homes' in the marketplace, and Lake County's removing size restrictions just made 'common sense'.
   “I think it is a good thing,” said commission chair Kirby Smith while voicing support for the measure.
   Leslie Campione, whose district includes most of North Lake County, supported the measure as it allows for greater development flexibility.
   “Easier for people to do creative things,” she said.
   Beyond stand-alone construction, the new law will make it easier to create backyard villas, in-law suites, and other small-scale units for those who have the need.