Fifteen minutes from Anna Maria Island in west Bradenton, a massive master-planned community is underway.
It's more than a thousand acres of land that used to be a flower farm.
Now, it's sprouting hundreds of new homes.
Off the main entrance, a town center with a Publix is coming soon. And periodically, big, teal street signs greet you with messages like: "You're always welcome by the water."
Ed Hill, the managing director of the SeaFlower community, stands outside the welcome center as two bicyclists pedal by.
"The whole idea was to create a street environment that promoted — what we just saw with the two people driving right through the roadway on their bikes — because we're going to keep the speeds down and keep it safe," he said.
But that's not the only thing setting this development apart.
Allowing accessory dwelling units
The concept for this new neighborhood also incorporates accessory dwelling units, or ADUs.
They're also known as granny flats, garage apartments or mother-in-law suites. Think: a converted garage or a standalone studio apartment in your backyard.
"So the idea of an accessory dwelling unit for this location was ... that it perhaps could be a solution for affordable housing. It also could be an extension for multi-generational living," Hill said.
That's the thinking of some Florida lawmakers, too.
A bill (SB48) moving quickly through the Florida Legislature would give homeowners the right to build and rent out ADUs on their property.
Currently, regulation of the extra living space is left up to local governments.
ALSO READ: Florida lawmakers could again consider legalizing 'granny flats'
If approved, this bill would require cities and counties to pass, or revise, local rules to allow ADUs wherever single-family homes are allowed.
Backtracking "home rule" in the name of housing
An internal analysis by the Florida Housing Coalition found that around 80 local governments already have orders on the books regarding ADU allowances.
Some, like the City of Bradenton, require a minimum of one parking spot on the side or setback if an ADU is built. Other places, like Lakeland, allow the extra units with sign-off from the city's zoning and historic preservation boards.
In Manatee County, Hill said the SeaFlower development got special permission to build ADUs in the backyards of the homes to be used as a rental apartment or a home office.
"From that date, which was back in 2015, [the county has] continued to further explore the possibility of applying accessory dwelling unit zoning to other places," Hill said. "So we feel like we were on the cutting edge a little bit."
Kody Glazer, the chief legal and policy officer of the Florida Housing Coalition, said the growing interest in ADUs is part of a national trend.
"There are already 18 other states that have done what Florida is trying to do in terms of standardizing ADUs statewide," Glazer said. "And they're both blue states, they're red states. It's just part of the national trend that we're seeing, just more states stepping in on this kind of thing."
Historically, he said, the wrinkle in passing legislation in Florida has been questions over how, or whether, to regulate ADUs' use as short-term rentals.
The hang-up in the House
That issue surfaced last year in the Florida legislature, when a similar proposal failed because lawmakers couldn't agree on regulations for listings as Airbnbs and VRBOs.
Rebecca O'Hara, a lobbyist with the Florida League of Cities, told representatives during a recent bill hearing that the House version (HB 313) doesn't give local governments enough oversight.
"This turns a promising affordable housing strategy into a party house bill," O'Hara said. "Now, these investors will be able to double the parties and their profits by cramming accessory dwelling units onto a lot with an existing short-term rental."
The Senate version of the bill, which unanimously passed a floor vote on Wednesday, is trying to address that.
While local governments would be prohibited from adding extra regulations to the construction of ADUs, like adding parking requirements or stipulating that the owner live in the primary residence, the Senate bill text does allow an exception to "prohibit the renting or leasing of an accessory dwelling unit ... for a term less than 1 month."
As the bill returns to the House, where it's still working through committee hearings, Glazer said the issue is nearing the same tipping point as last year.
Avoiding resort communities
The developers at SeaFlower are also grappling with the conundrum of short-term rentals.
"We've been very careful about what the rental program is and what it can be to make sure it doesn't turn into a resort community," Hill said.
Going far beyond what's been proposed in SB48, owners in the new development will be required to live in the primary residence for a year before renting their ADU. They are also bound to a minimum lease term of six months, according to SeaFlower HOA regulations.
Hill said these rules will help protect their intention for allowing ADUs in the community.
"The ADU, again, was something that we looked at and said: There's a solution to the home office, there's a solution to the homeschooling. There's a solution to the crowded nest, where you might want to have multi-generational living, either with an adult child or grandparents," he said.
That was a selling point for buyers Gerry and Dave Servary.
Once their home is built, it will have a live-above apartment on top of their garage.
They haven't settled on what it will become, but Gerry said that's the beauty of it.
"There's a lot of features with an ADU, a lot of benefits ... it's just a great flex space and a lot of options."
Dave added: "A place to stick the grandkids, too!"
With little ones who visit and a 99-year-old parent who lives with them, they said it will most likely become a space for guests, and eventually, live-in care.
But the Servarys said they're not counting out the idea of listing it as a rental.
Gabriella Paul covers the stories of people living paycheck to paycheck in the greater Tampa Bay region for WUSF. Here’s how you can share your story with her.
