The Planning Board, motivated by the suggestions of several town residents, is considering increasing the maximum size permitted for secondary residential units on a single-family house lot.
Heeding the advice of former town planner DeCarlo Brown, who attends the meetings remotely pending a new hire, board members voted unanimously April 22 to ask the Town attorney and staff to draft a proposed amendment increasing the maximum size of accessory dwelling units from 750 to 1,000 square feet.
At the same time, they will continue the ongoing discussion with the public and the Town Council.
ADUs can be either attached, unattached or interior to an existing structure.
Kirk and Angela Estes, of Vine Street, who hope to build a unit for their son and his wife on their property, had asked the board in March to consider increasing the square footage for ADUs to 1,1,00 or 1,200 sq. ft.
Mike McGinness, of Buttonwood Road, lent support to the idea in a letter to the board included in the meeting packet in which he calculated the cost of permitting, utility hookups and site work – which apply to buildings of all sizes – then compared costs per sq. ft. to average local rental costs.
The higher cost per square foot of constructing smaller units discourages people from investing in accessory rental housing, McGinness suggested.
Planning Board member Mary Hussey, a real estate broker, said clients most often look for rental units with at least two bedrooms.
“A lot of people are looking for homes having a guest room for family or even a caregiver that they can set up for their aging parents,” Hussey said.
Board members Tony Palazzetti, Clay Curtis and Aaron Rouse agreed the proposed increase made sense. Rouse, who also works in real estate, noted that New Englanders historically have added on to their homes as the size of the family increased.
Board Chair Hershey Hirschkop raised the fact that under state law, permits for ADUs don’t require off street parking, which could cause parking congestion in the downtown area.
Calling on her experience in the housing market as a homebuyer, architect and affordable housing advocate, Hirschkop said 850 sq. ft. can comfortably include two bedrooms, and 1,200 sq. ft. is the size that often includes three bedrooms.
“If we are getting to the point that we’re just building a second home, I’m not sure what the distinction is between an ADU and another house,” she said.
A building permit issued for an ADU prohibits a property owner from selling the ADU separately from the principal dwelling, according to Code Enforcement Officer Alan Plummer.
