Ryan Hardy has spent nearly six years looking for a cost-effective way to move his elderly mother closer to his rural Kent County home.
He investigated splitting his nearly 21-acre Algoma Township property into two lots and building a new house for his mother, but learned he would have to install a separate driveway and separate water, sewer and drainage systems. All told, that option would have cost about $300,000 to $350,000. Buying a home nearby would be in the same ballpark, he said.
However, an alternative emerged in recent weeks when the township ended its ban on accessory dwelling units, or ADUs, that involve secondary housing units on a single-family lot…