Washington

1. Confirm Mason County zoning district (~5d)
   Most Old Washington parcels are R (Residential) or RE; check at Maysville Codes Department (216 Bridge St., +1-606-564-2719). Confirm ADU is allowed in the parcel's district per Mason County Article III.
2. Pre-meeting with Board of Architectural Review (~14d)
   Schedule a courtesy review with BAR before filing - they advise on materials (wood, brick, true-divided-light fenestration), siting, and roof pitch consistent with the historic district. Typical BAR meets monthly.
3. File Certificate of Appropriateness application (~7d)
   If exterior of the structure is new or changing, submit Certificate of Appropriateness with elevations, materials specs, and color samples to the Maysville Codes Department.
4. BAR public hearing (~1d)
   Board of Architectural Review approves, conditions, or denies. Conditions on materials and detailing are common.
5. Mason County zoning permit application (~7d)
   Submit zoning permit application to confirm Article III ADU compliance (size 720-1000 sqft, owner-homestead, sewer/water hookup).
6. Mason County Health Department septic / connection review (~21d)
   If outside the Maysville sewer service area, on-site sewage permit from county health required. Article III requires public sewer/water OR approved alternative.
7. Kentucky DHBC residential building permit (~21d)
   State residential construction permit + plan review.
8. Construction inspections + final / CO (~10d)
   DHBC inspector handles foundation/framing/MEP/insulation/final. BAR may site-inspect for material compliance during finish phase.

• Long-term rental: yes (Article III ADU is rental-eligible while homestead clause holds) Long-term rental of the ADU is permitted as long as the principal dwelling remains the owner / heir homestead.
• Short-term rental: with-restrictions (LUMO + Mason County Article III homestead requirement) Article III conditions the ADU permit on principal or ADU being the owner / heir homestead. STR of an owner-homestead-occupied ADU is workable; whole-property non-owner-occupied STR can clash with the homestead clause.
• Office rental: no Article III restricts the ADU to dwelling use; commercial office tenancy not permitted.
• Home office: yes Home occupation permitted under LUMO with the standard limits on signage and customer traffic.
• Studio / workshop: yes Artist / writer studio is a recognized accessory use; Old Washington has an active arts community.
• Agriculture: with-restrictions Backyard chickens / small gardening permitted; livestock varies by parent district.
• Relative support: yes Family-occupancy ADU is the textbook Article III case - the homestead clause specifically contemplates owner / heir use.

• Kentucky Historic Preservation Tax Credit (state) — 30% (residential, owner-occupied) of qualified rehab expenses, capped (Old Washington structures listed individually or contributing to NRHP district)
• Federal Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit — 20% of qualified rehab expenses (income-producing property only - includes ADU rented out) (Old Washington contributing structures)
• Old Washington tour-revenue partnership — Property owners can list their ADU in the Old Washington Visitor's Center seasonal materials when used for STR / artist residency.

Staff: George K. Larger, III, AICP (Planning & Zoning Administrator (Maysville-Mason joint)), Old Washington Visitor's Center (Historic-district interpretation (not a permitting office))

• Water: Maysville Utility Commission (water) · 21d connect · $750
• Sewer: Maysville Sanitary Sewer (limited extension into Old Washington; on-site septic with Mason County Health on the rural fringe) · 30d connect · $950
• Electric: Maysville Utility Commission (electric) · 14d connect · $700
• Gas: Columbia Gas of Kentucky · 21d connect · $1,100

Realistic total: best 9mo · typical 13mo · worst 20mo

Historic-district materials (period siding, divided-light windows, slate-look roofing) lengthen procurement and skilled-trade scheduling.

Modular pathway Kentucky DHBC Manufactured/Modular Housing Program · inspectors are rare with modular

Old Washington's narrow historic streets and BAR design standards make a generic modular box almost impossible to approve; modular is essentially incompatible with the historic-district overlay.

State ADU loans:

• KHC First Mortgage Programs (Kentucky Housing Corporation)
• KHC Down Payment Assistance Program (DAP) (Kentucky Housing Corporation) up to $12,500
• Kentucky Heritage Council Historic Preservation Tax Credit (loan substitute) (Kentucky Heritage Council)

Historic-district rebuild costs inflate premiums; replacement-cost endorsement is essential. Some carriers exclude older structures - National Trust Insurance Services is a specialist option.

Old Washington has no HOA - the historic district overlay is the controlling design layer rather than private covenants.

• historic-district — Old Washington Historic District (NRHP 1969) - approximately 50-acre core surrounding Old Main Street. Certificate of Appropriateness from Maysville BAR required for any exterior alteration. · +30d · +12% cost
  Material specs drive cost: wood siding, true-divided-light windows, period roofing forms. Tax credits partly offset. (map)
• flood-zone — Ohio River and Limestone Creek floodplain on the north side of Maysville reach close to the Old Washington area on the lower terraces; bulk of the historic district sits on a higher bench but FEMA Zone X-shaded touches the perimeter. · +7d · +4% cost
  Lowest finished floor 1 ft above BFE on flood-zone parcels; most Old Washington lots are clear of SFHA. (map)
• other — Karst / sinkhole exposure: northern Mason County is on the eastern karst belt with limestone bedrock; sinkhole formation is documented around Maysville. · +7d · +4% cost
  Geotech / soils investigation typical for slab foundations; pier-and-beam (period-appropriate) sidesteps most karst risk. (map)