[{"_1":2,"_112":-5,"_113":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6504828,"mediaKeyId","5548158-b8bc21492092fbca6ff9913932626e59","parentId",5548158,"title","Millis planning board refers revised accessory-dwelling-unit bylaw edits to select board ahead of anticipated Attorney General decision","audioSeconds",1981,"startMs",335000,"endMs",2316000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5548158-b8bc21492092fbca6ff9913932626e59&start=335&end=2316","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5548158-b8bc21492092fbca6ff9913932626e59/thumbnail_335000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6504828/Massachusetts/Millis-planning-board-refers-revised-accessory-dwelling-unit-bylaw-edits-to-select-board-ahead-of-anticipated-Attorney-General-decision","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6504828-a6b360627bf16b73cf4657a69ef2b17d/orig.mp4?Expires=1771098882&Signature=O~i0rP-s1OGvBTYKrhh-YYgNNjNd7BjicBMFYacuD-hkpaZf1EYmoh8AE7tujgx2QkRqWWUfgUSpyZOPNWwImCXo54LAf1oJhlWL9PcurIDClWGC7ryBRafe~xdDFP3N1aaXTKoD19RaUSigZJRzMZspLb-oCW22YOPhoHbCZf2~63txamqzCN6PAm6eYgXU-DK8SRCPVaALLBCqpkrVM0gQRpiq3PuljaHCEHhaS9hfCBbRleRyvrZqBGzgrl8itYv7zZ6~9080wugcOHdvQwFvzE-briKw~8MSuhWFFz6V7ZJPOdKtJUcqiDHikS2YF3hO2KBiqsIb58XgxLe2ng__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Town of Millis, MA","date","2025-08-07T01:17:11.897Z","article","The Millis Planning Board on Tuesday reviewed recommended edits to the town’s accessory dwelling unit (ADU) bylaw and voted to refer the revised draft to the select board for further action.

Attorney Jay (presenting to the board) told members the state Attorney General’s office has signaled it will disallow some language several towns had included when they adopted ADU bylaws, and said Millis should make targeted changes now to avoid a later partial disapproval. Board counsel and planners have discussed anticipatory edits that track AG and state guidance, Jay said; the AG is expected to issue a decision on the matter on Aug. 26.

Key points discussed:
- Definition and scope: The board’s original language described ADUs as accessory to single-family homes. The AG and state implementing guidance treat ADUs as potentially accessory to any residential structure; counsel recommended removing the single-family limitation and instead tying dimensional rules to the most permissive residential form in the town’s zoning code. Presenters said that change is expected to be largely technical in Millis because current dimensional standards are already keyed to single-family settings.
- Preexisting nonconforming structures: Counsel explained the tension between the ADU statute and preexisting-nonconforming rules under state law (Chapter 40A/Chapter 48 references). The AG indicated towns cannot require a special permit for ADU use in many cases; instead, Millis can rely on a “favorable finding” standard (a less rigorous administrative finding used for expansions of nonconforming structures) to evaluate conversions of carriage houses, garages and similar features. The board’s draft was edited to replace a special-permit requirement with language allowing a favorable finding by the Zoning Board of Appeals where appropriate.
- Parking and site plan provisions: The draft will specify that one off-street parking space must be provided for an ADU (the AG flagged language that said “at least one” and asked for “one”), and the bylaw will retain site-plan review provisions for architectural compatibility and screening while removing unnecessary special-permit barriers. The town will continue to disallow tandem spaces for ADU parking in the draft.

Board member Alan raised an issue about a remaining reference to \"single-family\" in a parking clause; counsel agreed to remove it. Members discussed 40B developments and whether ADUs would be permitted to attach to or modify units covered by Chapter 40B permits; counsel said outcomes depend on the 40B permit language.

After discussion the board voted to refer the revised ADU bylaw language, including the additional change noted by member Alan, to the select board and to schedule a public hearing in September. Several members said they preferred to move sooner rather than later to give the building department and homeowners predictability ahead of the AG’s decision.

Why it matters: ADU rules increase opportunities for smaller rental or owner-occupied units; changes the AG requires could affect how many and which property owners can add units, and how local boards apply dimensional and nonconformity standards.

What’s next: Planning staff will transmit the updated draft and a memo describing changes to the select board; the planning board plans a public hearing in September and expects to adjust minor text after the AG issues its formal decision.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Planning Board 8/5/2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Millis Planning Board reviewed proposed edits to the town’s accessory dwelling unit bylaw and voted to refer the revised language to the select board, the board said Tuesday.","taxTitle","Town of Millis, Norfolk County, Massachusetts","taxId",54409,"location","Massachusetts","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6504833,"Millis planning board approves special permit for 16 Lavender Street office renovation",293,24000,317000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5548158-b8bc21492092fbca6ff9913932626e59&start=24&end=317","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5548158-b8bc21492092fbca6ff9913932626e59/thumbnail_24000.jpg","/articles/6504833/Massachusetts/Millis-planning-board-approves-special-permit-for-16-Lavender-Street-office-renovation","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6504833-7f65ad93178dd996b9f5ed1ef8f5083a/orig.mp4?Expires=1771098882&Signature=Mi-g~r25GoLJD7amER72FeHn4Y7zdyEygWl3mIcZLi8KOvOTDMNzT4zMla7T0l01NnATksKvtuWsMpCKQzipLGwDFyCtAu~iQvSPYEJUiUOqGEcasOQWXB5RiAXAWLRAlRZEisudjI0LRQEL-DXeoVCymDM4f2g00YSC~eKe1EuSJ49VCD5Z~D0g48JMPie17G1vf~apC7opo7Fs86SqR1fc2FA95H5~OMs0j0Zq-eK8ILztfAwwBN25AG9eLuz2Nnv6CvMLb6-zGW54kGLlEK9qTWw2s09uXYIKNhY7Od5wg9msAaJ-1wOvFFzwMAwZjtQ147Q5ZQDgxzSVmDZX7Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Town of Millis Planning Board on Tuesday approved a special permit with standard conditions to allow renovation of the existing building at 16 Lavender Street into office space.

The board closed a continued public hearing and voted to approve the special permit after the applicant and their designer described revisions requested by the planning board. The application, submitted by Santiago Santos of Santos Hardwood Floor, seeks site plan approval under the Millis zoning bylaw provisions for mixed-use developments and services.

The applicant’s representative, Nick Kelling of Lehi Design, told the board the updated site plan adds curb stops for all parking spaces, repairs or replaces the wooden rear fence as needed, and adds an externally mounted, non-illuminated freestanding sign that conforms with local sign regulations. Two rear building-mounted signs will identify employee parking. A photometric plan shows motion-sensor building-mounted lighting designed to avoid light spill onto adjacent properties.

Kelling said Beta Group (the town’s peer reviewer) completed a review and that the applicant had addressed comments in Beta’s July 11 letter. He said the Board of Health and the fire department had no outstanding issues. The project team also submitted a special permit application to the Zoning Board of Appeals; that matter will be heard later this month, Kelling said.

After discussion, Chair Richard Nichols moved to close the public hearing; a second was recorded and the board voted in favor. The board then voted to approve the special permit subject to the planning board’s standard conditions; the approval will be signed and returned to the applicant. The decision and associated documents were to be delivered to the applicant following the meeting.

Why it matters: the site is a conversion of a previously institutional building to office use in Millis’s mixed-use zone. Approval clears the primary discretionary local land-use approvals the applicant needs to proceed to permitting and building‑permit stages, subject to the planning board’s standard conditions and any Zoning Board of Appeals actions.

Planning staff note the approved plans and the endorsed decision will be filed with the town clerk and posted on the planning board webpage as required under the notice for the public hearing.

What’s next: the applicant said they will follow up with the town by email, and the project may proceed to building permitting and the ZBA process as noted in the decision.","The Town of Millis Planning Board voted to approve a special permit with standard conditions to convert the former school building at 16 Lavender Street into small office space; board records show state and local reviews cleared the proposal.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6504816,"Millis planning board backs exploring online code service; staff to prepare warrant article for November town meeting",455,3921000,4376000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5548158-b8bc21492092fbca6ff9913932626e59&start=3921&end=4376","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5548158-b8bc21492092fbca6ff9913932626e59/thumbnail_3921000.jpg","/articles/6504816/Massachusetts/Millis-planning-board-backs-exploring-online-code-service-staff-to-prepare-warrant-article-for-November-town-meeting","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6504816-54a20e5b63abbec89a44dcc78420ac97/orig.mp4?Expires=1771098882&Signature=QvwLRGp7pZSJM9jwbysY30amkzKItPgpP9XzhtNZss4xGGrIRegXQ8XF6a~7Tr-AiJaK1gLQT0R0nJArwVW~Dj5CA~c1PQHGA1YqE2tcemAzuLwrZAAU3m2O4G3BpvKsS2dE~RcL7W4i2eoVG3T-LE6G5rGYGw~YyE~wjpyT2r24z6p5VPUOpYXK27wKkAcGyW8INH1nyoiKkCBMm8WeaScA3RyestPF~4-lS9Q8ltD-kXXpOgEm70NZnWxw2bJEL30brsATpTa4boR~MeT~YAynPdTsyZ9GwKdCUvedj7MEMFh30xpfhR6kEPVnbNDwYHvHDlRUydHi31uZ4WLrBQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Millis Planning Board discussed a vendor proposal to digitize and host the town’s zoning and general bylaws and recommended taking the item forward for select‑board consideration and a town‑meeting warrant article.

Planning staff presented a proposal from a vendor that would convert the town’s zoning bylaws and other municipal bylaws into an online, searchable platform. The conversion fee quoted in the packet was $16,050. Board members and staff discussed whether the purchase would include town ownership of the converted text and what recurring fees for hosting and maintenance would be; the town’s IT director indicated the IT department would cover the ongoing subscription cost after conversion.

Board members said the platform is more user-friendly than the town’s current static, scanned or manually edited documents and would improve public access and reduce staff time spent on manual updates. Staff noted there will remain some recurring staff input time to post substantive bylaw changes, but the vendor’s system is intended to streamline searches and reduce errors.

The board asked staff to prepare a warrant article for the November town meeting and to present the proposal to the select board for approval of funding from general funds in that November meeting. Members discussed proposal validity periods and asked staff to confirm the vendor’s quoted price can be held until the town is ready to proceed.

Why it matters: improved access to machine‑searchable local code reduces public confusion, supports applicants and building staff, and can cut staff hours spent fixing formatting and typographic issues.

What’s next: planning staff will coordinate with the town clerk and IT director, draft a warrant article and present the proposal to the select board for placement on the November 10 town meeting warrant.","The planning board discussed a General Code proposal to digitize and host Millis zoning and general bylaws, noted the one‑time conversion fee of about $16,050 and an ongoing hosting/maintenance cost, and agreed to prepare a warrant article for the select board to fund the work at November town meeting.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6504821,"Millis planning board orders stop-work action and requires amendment after unpermitted work at 1073 Main Street solar project",1543,2303000,3846000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5548158-b8bc21492092fbca6ff9913932626e59&start=2303&end=3846","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5548158-b8bc21492092fbca6ff9913932626e59/thumbnail_2303000.jpg","/articles/6504821/Massachusetts/Millis-planning-board-orders-stop-work-action-and-requires-amendment-after-unpermitted-work-at-1073-Main-Street-solar-project","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6504821-2c9bb717ad2b59c978df41720e814dc2/orig.mp4?Expires=1771098882&Signature=J6shIFt9ApIAS-3a~yTc7BTWfeNV5m44B9dt-Vg~CXgMOi2O3EbqGpEdSPNv6hroSNqecLFNLbMxTxPutR0-vZknKstL20cGxxa4IguHZRieNxWJxler1Q4Y2hUUjWNmJ0Al8pCDXJm5cyPilwZhPyGVU3uBO7j7WJbvkOtWM4TMqU4Jn1VHQBKGxrnaHJh4n6cDx7opu3VHKM6CnK0QfqAg6eji9lxnMKAmZ6TF4VgiJEglV876XrJY1AK5G4OUthNrmk7uDUUG5uDviSGn4DmQA3lguXihE9YWN9P7TFyhxmdW6NeMUjmhGTgVKMcIDAx-DJlVqD4oLcZhhwapJg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Millis Planning Board on Tuesday directed the developer of a special-permit solar canopy at 1073 Main Street to file for a special-permit amendment and signaled it will ask the building commissioner to issue a stop‑work order after town officials discovered construction had begun without required pre-construction steps and outstanding peer review work.

Chair Richard Nichols said the original special permit was issued in February 2022. Town staff learned in late July that footings had been poured before required pre-conference meetings with the Department of Public Works and before the town’s peer-review engineer had reviewed a finalized set of drawings and provided a scope and fee. Nichols and staff described the current situation as work that had progressed beyond the scope shown on the endorsed drawings, noting the revised plans submitted to the building department included substantially larger footings and a different footing layout.

NextGrid representatives at the meeting — Mike Patterson of NextGrid, Benjie Borra of CSG Developers, and master electrician Patrick Edwards — acknowledged the company started work without holding the pre-construction meeting. Patterson apologized and said the company lost personnel in its construction group, which led to an unintended early start. He said the team wants to work with the town to remedy the issues.

Town officials described specific concerns:
- Peer review and scope: staff said there is currently no money in the town’s peer-review account for this project because no scope-and-fee was accepted and no funds were collected. The board directed that the applicant submit the current, revised drawings so the town’s consultant (Beta Group) can prepare a scope and fee for review.
- Changed construction scope: officials said the revised drawings include larger, spread footings (the board noted examples of 13-foot by 13-foot footings, three feet deep, and cited about 56 footings on site), a change from the generic footing detail on the original plan. Because the work as built appears to differ materially from the endorsed plans, the board directed the applicant to file an amendment to the special permit and to provide stamped engineering documentation for the field changes.
- Cemetery screening and fence location: a plan condition required a stockade fence and plantings to screen the Prospect Hill Cemetery. Staff said the screening and fencing were to be installed before construction began; contractors now say trees and grade changes may complicate the originally envisioned planting plan. The planning board said the screening requirement is essential and must be addressed before the project resumes.

Planning staff and the applicant agreed the next steps are: (1) the town will request a stop‑work order from the building commissioner; (2) the applicant must file a special-permit amendment application and pay required filing and peer-review fees; (3) the town consultant will prepare a scope and fee for review once the current drawings are submitted; and (4) the board will review the amendment at a subsequent meeting after peer review and departmental comments are returned. The board voted to require the applicant to file the amendment; the building commissioner will handle issuance of a formal stop‑work order.

Why it matters: the project touches a public cemetery buffer and required town review steps intended to ensure drainage, structural, and site-safety measures. Town staff said the unauthorized start left the peer-review account with no funds and prevented the town’s consultants from checking design changes before field work began.

What’s next: the board recorded a formal motion requiring the project team to file an addendum to the special permit and directed staff to pursue a stop‑work order; the project will return to the planning board after the required peer review and any filing and hearing requirements have been met.","After construction began without required pre-conference and peer review, the board directed the applicant for the NextGrid solar canopy at 1073 Main Street to file for a special-permit amendment and prepared to request a stop‑work order; the board also raised screening and cemetery‑buffer concerns.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Millis planning board refers revised accessory-dwelling-unit bylaw edits to select board ahead of anticipated Attorney General decision

Millis planning board approves special permit for 16 Lavender Street office renovation

Millis planning board backs exploring online code service; staff to prepare warrant article for November town meeting

Millis planning board orders stop-work action and requires amendment after unpermitted work at 1073 Main Street solar project