So you want to build an ADU in Eastern Montgomery County, PA...

Maybe you want a small place for aging parents. Maybe your kid needs somewhere to land after college. Maybe you simply believe that one lot can hold more than one household and that is a good thing.

If you are in Abington Township, Cheltenham Township, or Jenkintown Borough here in Eastern Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, this is for you.

In planning speak, that second little home is an ADU, an Accessory Dwelling Unit. In real life, it is a backyard cottage, a converted garage, a basement apartment, or a tiny house that lets people live closer to the people they love.

Regional planners already get this. Montgomery County, DVRPC, and local comprehensive plans in Abington, Cheltenham, and Jenkintown all talk about the same themes, more housing choices, aging in place, using existing neighborhoods and transit instead of pushing sprawl farther out.

This post zooms in on three Eastern Montco municipalities, Cheltenham, Abington, and Jenkintown, and asks a simple question.

If you want to build an ADU here, what happens next, and what would it take for these towns to catch up with their own regional plans.

What is an ADU, without the jargon

Forget the acronyms for a second. Picture things like

• A finished basement apartment with its own entrance and small kitchen

• A second floor over your garage with a real bathroom, not just dusty storage

• A one story cottage tucked behind the main house, on the alley or near the garden

Same lot, same ownership, two separate homes that can function independently. That is an ADU.

The details vary, but the idea is always the same. Use the land and infrastructure we already have, streets, sewer lines, schools, transit, to create one more place for someone to live. No new cul de sac on a cornfield. No giant luxury complex.

County and regional plans talk about this as Smart Growth. Many neighbors just call it common sense.

Cheltenham Township, every ADU is a special case

Cheltenham’s zoning code talks about residential accessory structures, garages, sheds, gazebos, all the usual stuff. Those structures are allowed to store things, park cars, and support the main house.

What they are not allowed to do, at least on paper, is quietly become a second home.

There is no clean line in the code that says “Accessory Dwelling Unit, permitted in these districts, subject to these standards.” So when people want something that actually behaves like a second dwelling, a real in law suite with a separate kitchen and a bit of independence, they end up at the Zoning Hearing Board asking for variances.

Sometimes they get them. Sometimes they do not. Always, it is a process.

So if you have heard someone say “we converted our garage into a place for my mom” in Cheltenham, that probably happened through a custom deal, not a simple checklist at the permit counter.

How friendly is Cheltenham for ADUs right now:

• ADUs are not defined or named in the code

• Detached structures are supposed to stay non residential

• In law suites get pushed into case by case hearings

If you are a regular homeowner, that means your ADU idea is not a normal right, it is a favor you hope to win.

What Cheltenham’s comp plan work and public feedback are saying

Cheltenham has been working on a new comprehensive plan with Montgomery County planners. We do not have the full draft, but the community survey and public workshop memos tell a lot about where residents are coming from.

A few things jump out.

Who is speaking up:

• The 2021 survey had over 1,100 responses, and most respondents have deep roots in the township. About 26 percent have lived in Cheltenham for more than 30 years, and 70 percent live in single family detached homes. Around 89 percent are owners rather than renters. 

• The age profile skews older. Roughly 73 percent of respondents are 45 or older, which lines up with a lot of long time homeowners thinking about taxes, maintenance, and aging in place. 

What they value:

• When asked what makes Cheltenham unique, the top answers were diversity, suburban community with easy access to the city, neighborhood character, and sense of community. Access to public transit and parks showed up as important too. 

• In the public workshops, people kept coming back to walkability between neighborhoods, stormwater and sustainability, and keeping neighborhood scale community centers. There was also a strong thread about balancing the township’s rich history with a need to look toward the future. 

How they feel about housing:

• About 40 percent of survey respondents said they do not feel there are enough housing options in Cheltenham to let them stay if they need to upsize, downsize, or move to single floor living. Only 26 percent felt there are adequate options, and 35 percent were not sure. 

• People are split on affordability. Roughly 36 percent agreed that housing in the township is generally affordable for the average person or family, while 37 percent disagreed. Views on low or moderate income housing options are similarly mixed. 

How they feel about change:

• Workshop notes talk about residents wanting to lower the tax burden, protect neighborhood appearance, and improve code enforcement. There is also a line that many residents chose Cheltenham to get away from businesses, which makes any growth or redevelopment conversation a bit sensitive. 

Put all of that together and you get a very Cheltenham story.

People love the township’s diversity, older neighborhoods, and quick connection to the city. A lot of long time homeowners are aging in place and worry about costs. Many are nervous about big visible change. At the same time, a large share of residents say there are not enough options if they need to move into a smaller place or a single floor home, and opinions are divided on whether housing is affordable.

That is exactly the gap where ADUs usually help.

How ADUs could fit Cheltenham’s own goals

Cheltenham’s comp plan work is emphasizing things like:

• Protecting neighborhood character while making it easier to move around on foot and connect between neighborhoods

• Managing costs for residents

• Honoring older building stock and history, while not freezing the township in place forever

A small, well designed ADU policy would fit that toolbox.

Instead of relying only on large new multifamily projects or controversial commercial redevelopments, Cheltenham could:

• Let long time homeowners create one small, accessible unit for downsizing or for a caregiver

• Add modestly priced homes in existing walkable, transit served neighborhoods without changing the streetscape much

• Help meet the need for more flexible housing options that survey respondents already flagged, without building big boxes in sensitive areas

Right now, the zoning code still pretends every ADU is an exception. The survey and workshop work suggest Cheltenham is ready to talk about small, careful, neighborhood scale ways to add housing choice.

You do not have to call it radical. You can just call it doing, in the zoning text, what residents are already asking for quietly in the comp plan process.

Abington Township, PA, ADUs that exist but cannot breathe

Abington is a weird split screen.

On one side, the zoning ordinance already talks about ADUs. Use A 1, Accessory Dwelling Units, lives in the accessory use section. On paper, that looks enlightened compared to neighbors that pretend ADUs do not exist.

On the other side, the rules are written so tightly that these little homes barely function as homes at all.

How the current ADU rules work

• You need a single family detached house as the main use.

• You only get one ADU per lot.

• The whole thing is framed as an “in law suite” style accessory, not a real second household.

Then the fine print clamps down.

• Occupants of the ADU have to be close family, not regular tenants.

• The owner is supposed to live on site.

• Detached ADUs are kept very small, and permits can be tied to specific family members and renewed or revisited periodically.

So yes, Abington “allows” ADUs, but only if they stay in the family and stay under close supervision. If you want to build a small place over the garage for a nurse, a teacher, or a neighbor who does not share your last name, the code basically tells you no.

That is the on the ground reality.

Now zoom out to the township’s own planning documents, and the picture is very different.

What Vision2035 says Abington, PA wants, and why that matters for ADUs

In the draft Vision2035 Comp Plan, Abington comes right out and says it is 98 percent built out. There is almost no raw land left. Future growth will be infill and reuse of what we already have, especially near train stations and older centers.

The same chapter leans into a few big ideas.

• More varied housing types and sizes in residential areas, especially near mixed use and employment centers, so different households and incomes can actually live here.

• A Mixed Residential Overlay that would deliberately allow twins, duplexes, triplexes, and maybe townhomes within about a quarter mile of town and village centers, and on blocks that already have a mix of housing types.

• Stronger focus on transit oriented development around the township’s seven regional rail stations, using county TOD model ordinances and SEPTA’s Transit Supportive Communities program as guides.

• A commitment to housing that is affordable, attainable, and accessible, including zoning incentives for moderate income households and better support for accessible and visitable homes so people can age in place.

Read that back slowly and it sounds like the opening argument for healthy, by right ADUs.

Small, self contained homes in already built neighborhoods. Extra options near transit and mixed-use corridors. Better choices for aging residents and people with disabilities. More attainable price points without building out into the woods.

That is exactly what ADUs are good at.

Right now, though, the ADU section of the zoning is still written as if the only safe version is a private, internal family wing.

The tension, and where it could go

So Abington is in this tension point.

• On the books, ADUs are technically legal but treated like fragile, temporary family annexes that must not turn into “real” housing.

• In the draft Comp Plan, the township is talking about mixed residential overlays, TOD overlays, stacked townhomes, live work units, and other newer housing forms as tools for a “thriving, equitable community” in a built out suburb.

If the township actually believes its own Vision2035 goals, there is a clear way forward.

What Abington could do with its ADU code, using its own plan as justification

• Drop the family only occupancy rule and treat ADUs as one more way to provide “attainable and accessible” housing, subject to the same rental licensing and safety rules as any other dwelling.

• Explicitly recognize ADUs as one of the housing types that help smooth the transition in Mixed Residential Overlay areas near centers and transit, alongside twins and triplexes.

• Use the Transit Oriented Overlay framework to lean into ADUs around stations, where an extra small unit on a lot literally means one more rider within walking distance.

That would align the nuts and bolts of the zoning code with the big promises in Vision2035 instead of leaving ADUs stuck in an awkward half measure.

For you as a homeowner or a small builder, that is the key takeaway.

Right now, Abington will often say yes to a carefully controlled family in law suite, and no to an ordinary backyard apartment that could actually help with housing costs. But the township’s own planning language gives you a story and a set of quotes to bring to public meetings.

“You already said you want more housing types near transit. You already said you want attainable, accessible housing in a built out town. ADU reform is a simple way to live up to that.”

Jenkintown Borough, PA: Tiny, walkable, and still not ADU friendly

Jenkintown is almost a textbook place where ADUs should already be legal, but the zoning code has not caught up to the Borough’s own comprehensive plan yet.

Why ADUs are such a natural fit in Jenkintown

• Aging community that wants to stay put
  More than half of Jenkintown households include someone 60 or older, and many homes have been occupied by the same family for 15 years or more. People are choosing to age in place because the town is walkable, has decent transit, and already offers relatively affordable housing choices. 

• High housing plus transportation costs
  Jenkintown households spend about 35 percent of income on housing and 17 percent on transportation, for a total of 52 percent. That is well above the 45 percent threshold that planners usually consider “affordable” for combined housing and transportation. 
  
  ADUs are one of the lowest impact tools available to help families cope with those costs, either by housing relatives or bringing in some rent.

• Almost fully built out, little vacant land
  The Borough is largely built out, with a long established and very diverse housing stock, and less than one third of units are single family detached. 
  
  That means most “new” housing realistically has to come from infill, reuse, and small add ons, not big greenfield subdivisions. ADUs are exactly that type of tool.

• A rail town where cars are optional
  About 80 percent of homes are within a half mile walk of either Jenkintown Wyncote or Noble station, which is exceptional for a suburb. That level of access makes it easier to add small units without requiring everyone to own multiple cars or build tons of new off street parking.

What the Jenkintown2035 plan already says about ADUs

The Borough’s own comprehensive plan is very clear that accessory units belong in Jenkintown.

The Neighborhood Preservation theme calls for

• Preserving a diverse range of housing types that contribute to neighborhood character. 

• Helping residents retire and age in place while maintaining mixed generation communities and a range of affordable housing options. 

Strategy NP2b explicitly tells the Borough to act on ADUs:

• “Draft ordinance language to permit the addition of accessory dwelling units to existing single family detached homes,” with requirements for design, parking, and minimum lot size. 

• The plan also highlights ADUs as a concrete example, showing a backyard unit in Lansdale and describing ADUs as a way to give older family members a safe, affordable place to live on an existing lot while aging in place. 

Taken together, the plan already frames ADUs as a key part of Jenkintown’s strategy to:

• Add a modest number of new homes to meet DVRPC’s projected population growth of about 4.3 percent and roughly 85 needed units by 2045 

• Do it through gentle infill consistent with DVRPC’s Smart Growth work around infill and accessory units in older suburbs 

Where the zoning code is today

• Jenkintown does not have an ADU ordinance in effect.

• Chapter 181 use tables do not list Accessory Dwelling Units as a permitted residential use in standard districts.

• The TR Traditional Residential Infill Overlay allows primary dwellings and accessory buildings, but those accessory buildings are limited, non residential structures, not separate dwelling units.

• Homeowners who want a garage conversion, basement apartment, or backyard cottage are effectively pushed into the variance process, even though the comprehensive plan supports ADUs.

• The Planning Commission has reportedly sent ADU related recommendations to Borough Council, but nothing is in the code yet, so policy direction and zoning remain out of sync.

Council and timeline context

• Council prioritized Rooming House Use in 2023, then Short Term Rentals in 2025.

• Manager Locke and Council are focused on the 2026 budget through year end 2025.

• Per Building, Zoning, and Revitalization Chair Joanne Bruno, Council intends to resume ADU research and discussion in early 2026, with a goal of adopting an ordinance in the months that follow.

What this means for homeowners right now

• There is no by right path for an ADU, most proposals will require zoning relief.

• If you explore an ADU, speak with the zoning office about feasibility, life safety, and the minimum relief needed, then tailor the design to minimize variances.

• Ensure plans do not drift into Rooming House or Short Term Rental use categories, since those are governed by the 2023 and 2025 ordinances.

• Watch early 2026 agendas, submit comments, and engage during drafting to help shape a workable ordinance.

How DVRPC sees ADUs

The Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission, DVRPC, looks at ADUs as one piece of a bigger Smart Growth toolkit. On their Smart Growth pages, they track which towns are actually adopting tools like accessory dwelling unit ordinances, transit oriented development, and traditional neighborhood design.

In plain language, DVRPC is trying to steer growth toward existing towns, walkable centers, and places with transit, instead of endless sprawl. ADUs fit neatly into that picture, small homes in already built neighborhoods, using streets, pipes, schools, and transit we already have.

When a township in Eastern Montco updates its code to welcome ADUs, it is not doing something fringe or radical, it is lining up with the regional planning goals that DVRPC is already mapping and measuring.

Smart Growth, housing, and who the region is tracking

For ADUs in Eastern Montgomery County, a lot of the context comes from DVRPC’s Smart Growth and housing work across the Philadelphia suburbs.

DVRPC and Montgomery County are not just writing pretty reports. They are literally mapping who is doing what.

• Smart Growth project databases highlight infill in existing towns, not just shiny new developments at the edge of farmland.

• Regional housing dashboards track where housing is getting built, who is rent burdened, and how far jobs are from the homes people can afford.

• Municipal adoption maps call out which towns have tools like ADU ordinances on the books, even if those ordinances are still cautious and family only.

Abington, Cheltenham, and Jenkintown already show up in these conversations. The question now is whether they want to be examples of timid, restrictive ADUs or examples of honest, people first housing reform.

What Eastern Montco could do differently

So what would it look like if these three towns actually leaned into ADUs in a way that matches their own planning language about affordability, aging in place, and walkability.

Abington’s draft Vision2035 says the township is 98 percent built out and needs more varied housing types near centers and transit. Cheltenham’s survey and workshop feedback shows a lot of long time owners who value diversity and walkability but do not see enough options to downsize or age in place. Jenkintown2035 literally tells the Borough to draft ADU language for single family homes.

Put simply, the plans are already pointing in the direction that ADUs naturally go. The zoning just has to catch up.

Shared, simple reforms for all three

All three towns keep saying some version of the same thing in their plans and public meetings, more housing choice, more options for aging in place, more people near transit and main streets.

ADUs are the smallest, gentlest version of that idea. The reforms can be just as simple:

• Say what an ADU is, clearly
  Put a plain definition in the code, one extra, self contained dwelling on the same lot as a main home, with its own kitchen and bathroom, and a reasonable size cap. Tie the purpose to the goals the plans already name, aging in place, attainable housing, and better use of existing infrastructure.

• Allow one ADU per lot by right in key residential areas
  Treat ADUs as a permitted accessory use, especially in the same neighborhoods the comp plans already highlight, near rail stations, along transit corridors, and inside mixed residential or traditional neighborhood areas. No special favors, no guessing, just a clear checklist.

• Drop occupancy rules that fight affordability goals
  If a township says it wants attainable housing and more options near jobs and transit, it cannot keep writing ADU rules that only allow blood relatives and ban rentals. Let ADUs house any household, and regulate them like any other dwelling, with the usual safety and licensing standards.

• Set guardrails that are about form, not exclusion
  Keep the protections that actually matter on the ground, height no taller than the main house, normal setbacks, basic lot coverage limits, windows and entries placed with neighbor privacy in mind, and one extra parking space only where it truly makes sense.

• Make the process boring on purpose
  Move ADUs out of the world of hearings and appeals, and into a world where a homeowner can walk in with a sketch and come out with a clear yes or no based on the written standards. That is how you get good projects from regular people, not just from those who can afford lawyers.

None of this is radical. It is just lining up the black and white zoning text with what the regional plans, Cheltenham’s public feedback, Jenkintown2035, and Abington’s Vision2035 already say, that the future is infill, small scale, and closer to the places people already live and ride.

If you are a homeowner or small scale builder right now

Here is what today ac

tually looks like on the ground.

• In Abington, you can usually do a family in law suite if you play by the current rules and keep it in the family, but the moment you want a normal rental or a little more independence, you run into the fine print.

• In Cheltenham, anything that behaves like a second home probably needs a zoning hearing and a good land use attorney, even though the comp plan survey and workshops are full of people saying they worry about costs and want better options to downsize or age in place.

• In Jenkintown, a true ADU is still basically a political project, not a simple permit, even though Jenkintown2035 literally calls for drafting ADU language for single family homes.

Meanwhile, regional planners keep producing charts that show rising housing costs, long commutes, and aging populations who actually need exactly this kind of small, flexible housing.

ADUs are not the only fix. They are one small, practical, very local tool. But they are also a litmus test.

Do Eastern Montco communities trust their residents to add one more household on a lot, or do they keep pretending that the only “normal” home is a big single family house with nothing else on the land.

If you care about that question, you do not have to be a developer to have a say. You can show up, you can email commissioners, you can ask why your town’s code does not yet match its own speeches about Smart Growth and housing choice.

And if you are the person quietly dreaming of that backyard cottage or downstairs apartment, you are not alone. You are part of a bigger regional story, and this is exactly where it starts to shift.

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Ross Abel, Realtor® and community-minded investor based in Eastern Montgomery County, PA, focusing on walkable neighborhoods in Abington, Cheltenham, and Jenkintown. Reach out anytime if you want to talk housing!