Decatur eyeing first ‘cottage court’ development

Decatur’s commission approved an intergovernmental contract with the city’s development authority to facilitate a “cottage court” pilot project near the downtown commercial district.

A cottage court is style of affordable housing made available by the city’s Unified Development Ordinance, passed last year. The specific site chosen is a half-acre on Commerce Drive across from the Ice House loft apartments. It’s anticipated the land will provide between five to nine stand-alone single-family homes no more than 1200 square feet, a story-and-a-half tall and sharing common green space.

City Manager Peggy Merriss estimates the cost as $250,000 to $300,000 per unit. The housing will be marketed to young professionals, empty nesters, service-sector employees or those who make roughly 80 percent of the city’s median household income.