Accessory Dwelling Units within Historic Districts

Accessory Dwelling Units and housing density within Historic Districts

Looking across maps of the oldest neighborhoods in Little Rock, you will see smaller buildings lining the alleyways. Most would assume these are simple garages or even older structures known as "carriage houses" that are simply used for storage and vehicles. However, if you pull older maps from the archives, you can see that these buildings are labeled as "dwelling," "servants," and "apartment." In the 19th century, prior to the invention and common use of the automobile, prominent residents constructed carriage houses to store their carriages. These one- and two-story buildings included storage and stables for horses. Living quarters for hired servants were often built into these structures and are typically seen upstairs in the two-story examples. As the neighborhoods developed, automobiles became popular and the need for servants decreased with new home technologies; carriage houses were converted to automobile garages. Several examples of historic garages include those at the Lincoln House (301 East 7th Street) and the home at 316 East 11th Street. 

Historic carriage house on grounds of the Lincoln house at 301 e. 7th Street in the MacArthur Park Historic District.

Today, these buildings represent an opportunity to provide affordable housing and mixed-density housing options. Recent changes in Arkansas law, House Bill 1503 (now Act 313) required all Arkansas cities to update their zoning codes by January 1, 2026, to allow at least one ADU by-right on any residential lot with a single-family home. In response, the City of Little Rock launched a community engagement initiative in July 2025, to gather feedback from Little Rock residents. The Board of Directors adopted Ordinance No. 22,647 on August 19, 2025, which established definitions and development standards for accessory dwelling units across the city.  

An Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) is a self-contained and independently accessed living unit that includes its own cooking, sleeping, and sanitation facilities that is an accessory unit to a primary structure of a greater square footage on the same parcel or lot of record. Common types include: 

  • Backyard cottages 

  • Garage or carriage houses 

  • Basement or attic apartments 

  • Attached additions with separate entrances 

ADUs can provide housing for relatives, caregivers, students, travel-professionals, renters, or homeowners looking to age in place with family. 

Under HB1503(act 313), cities cannot: 

  • Require the ADU to match the aesthetic or architectural design of the primary single-family structure (does not apply to structures in Local Ordinance Historic Districts) 

  • Impose minimum lot size requirements beyond what already exists for the main house. 

  • Set owner-occupancy requirements (e.g., requiring the homeowner to live on-site). 

  • Require additional off-street parking for the ADU beyond what is required for the primary dwelling. 

  • Require separate water and sewer from the primary dwelling 

Municipalities still have authority to regulate: 

  • Setbacks: Cities can require standard setbacks (e.g., distance from lot lines) that apply to the single-family structure 

  • Height and size: Some limits on square footage and height are allowed 

  • Lot coverage & lot sizes: Cities can limit how much of a lot can be built upon and the minimum size of a lot in a zoning district that are applied to the single-family structure. 

  • Building, safety, and fire codes: ADUs must comply with health and safety rules. 

  • Short-term rentals: The law does not prohibit municipalities from regulating short-term rentals (STRs). STRs in Little Rock must follow current STR regulations. 

To read more about Ordinance No. 22,647 click here and here.

Compatible infill, adaptive reuse, and the restoration of housing stock

Utilizing existing buildings or creating sensitive infill ADUs provides many benefits to owners of historic homes and others in the district (National Register historic districts). Rising cost of housing and home repair means that many owners of historic properties fall behind on routine maintenance, leading these historic structures to neglect, disrepair, and even demolition. ADU's, while built to be affordable housing, also offer property owners an additional revenue stream for repair and property maintenance. The rise in costs to purchase a single-family home has also restricted many younger families and individuals from accessing home ownership. Accessory dwelling units provide a housing option that allows more diversity to return to these historic corridors of the city. Historic districts help to achieve public policy housing goals by providing housing options for a range of household sizes and incomes, while fostering a balance of neighborhood stability and healthy change.  

ADUs are also praised for creating invisible or gentle density, a concept that refers to an increase in the number of residents per area without the construction of large structures that can alter a neighborhood’s aesthetic.  By expanding the available rental housing stock in areas zoned largely for single-family housing, the marginal increase in density reduces the costs associated with extending utilities to new homes, without overextending infrastructure in any one area. Municipalities can, in theory, plan more efficiently for existing infrastructure, including transit routes. 

Historic districting is about keeping buildings alive, in active use, and relevant to the needs of the people and the cities that surround them. To best accomplish this, zoning and building regulations need to be flexible and responsive to change even as they try to preserve what is special about each building. When done correctly, this can elevate and accelerate cities’ efforts to remake themselves through their existing historic fabric. Outside of just traditional ADU formats like granny flats and carriage houses, older buildings are often very well equipped to provide affordable housing because they were designed to serve multiple families and uses. That is why, all across America right now, creative adaptive reuse projects are converting historic schools, warehouses, old homes, and other buildings to create housing for those in need. 

It is important to understand that living within a National Register Historic District offers virtually zero regulations. In the city of Little Rock, the MacArthur Park Local Ordinance Historic District and Captiol Zoning District Commission are the only two regulatory bodies that restrict and monitor historic districts. The city's other historic districts do not have ordinances, commissions, or regulatory bodies. This means that living in an historic district outside of MacArthur Park and the boundaries of Capitol Zoning offers very little protections against demolitions, inappropriate additions and changes to historic structures, and other regulations that may come to mind when you think of a "controlling" historic district. The neighborhoods governed by HOAs and POAs are much more restrictive than what you will come across in the historic districts across this city. What this means is that historic districts offer opportunity, rather than regulation. Arkansas boasts a 30% historic tax credit within the Little Rock metro and can be combined with up to 20% federal Historic tax credits. For more information about Historic Tax Credits, you can contact the QQA or read more about federal and state credits at the attached links.  

To conclude, accessory dwelling units and other forms of "missing middle housing" are no strangers to historic districts. In fact, many of that "missing middle housing" used to exist in the historic corridors of our city prior to the massive waves of demolition caused by urban renewal and other federally funded "urban blight removal" projects of the 1950s, '60s, and '70s. In order to best support our neighbors and communities, our historic districts and methods of preservation offer a way to combine those efforts. Historic preservation is about more than saving old buildings. Reinvesting in existing neighborhoods is one of the most sustainable forms of community development. Preservation helps reduce waste, supports local businesses, encourages thoughtful redevelopment, and expands housing opportunities by keeping existing homes and neighborhoods vibrant for future generations. Strong historic neighborhoods contribute to economic vitality, strengthen community identity, and create places where people want to live, work, and invest. 

 

For questions or assistance with historic home repair, acquisition, or renovations, please contact the Quapaw Quarter Association at qqa@quapaw.com. If we can’t answer your question directly, we have a network of trusted preservation professionals, tax credit consultants, architects, urban planners, real estate agents, and others familiar with the nuances of working with historic homes and within historic districts.