Tiny home plan advances amid housing strain

lFINDLAY — Legislation that would permit construction of "tiny homes" in Findlay is heading back to city council. On July 9, council's Planning & Zoning Committee voted to recommend the new zoning rules as presented. The recommendation is included on council's agenda for today's regular meeting. Council will meet at 6 p.m. today in the Findlay Municipal Building, 318 Dorney Plaza. All council meetings are open to the public and are livestreamed on the city's YouTube channel: Findlay Ohio. The committee's discussion focused on cleaning up language for the Tiny Home / Tiny Lot Residential (TH) district, a new zoning classification designed to allow compact, permanent single-family homes on small lots. The district would require full utility connections, permanent foundations and at least five platted lots within a subdivision. It would prohibit mobile or transient structures such as tiny homes on wheels, recreational vehicles or trailers. Mayor Christina Muryn told the committee the district is intended to support small-scale homeownership while preventing campground-style development in established neighborhoods. She emphasized that the zoning would not allow tiny homes to be built as replacements within existing residential districts. "This is not a conditional use or way to just build a tiny home in an existing neighborhood," Muryn said during the July 9 meeting. She said any tiny home development would need to be located on a parcel specifically zoned for that purpose, similar to how condo projects or small-lot subdivisions are handled. Setbacks would need to match the neighborhood's existing front lot requirements. City officials have received periodic inquiries about tiny homes over the past decade, but most proposals involved short-term or transient setups on standard infill lots — something the city has consistently rejected. The TH district is designed to create a path for compact homeownership while preserving neighborhood character. The committee also reviewed early concepts for allowing accessory dwelling units (ADUs) as conditional uses. ADUs — such as backyard cottages or converted garages — would require Planning Commission review to ensure conversions fit the surrounding neighborhood. Muryn said oversight is essential to prevent disruptive changes. "How do we make sure that it's not people shoving in, you know, turning a garage into an apartment, and then it is kind of disruptive, or it doesn't fit the neighborhood?" she said. The committee is expected to continue its discussion of rules for accessory dwelling units at a meeting to be held at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday in the city building. The committee is chaired by Councilwoman Heather Kensinger, R-at-large, and includes council members Nichole Coleman, R-1; Kevin Cullen, I-5; Dan DeLong, R-7; and Brad Wagner, R-at-large.