Planning board to draft combined warrant article to align zoning with recent state law changes on ADUs and occupancy

The Brookfield Town Planning Board discussed a package of zoning amendments intended to bring the town's zoning into compliance with recent state statutory changes affecting accessory dwelling units and occupancy rules. Members reviewed proposed language provided by SRPC and debated whether to present the required changes as one combined warrant article or as several separate articles at town meeting.

Marshall Goldberg and other members said SRPC's draft replaces instances of the word "family" with "household" to avoid limiting occupancy based on familial relationships and incorporates state-required changes on ADUs that allow detached units. Board members noted state references in the packet such as "HB 4 77" and related RSA amendments; they asked counsel to review drafting and for SRPC to prepare formal warrant-language drafts by the stated deadline.

Board members weighed two presentation options: bundle the mandatory RSA-driven changes into one article flagged as required by state law, or separate certain contentious items—most notably the ADU changes—into a standalone article to reduce voter confusion. Several members favored bundling the required items with an explanatory lead sentence stating the changes are to comply with state law; one member recommended supplementing the warrant with an informational mailing or public informational session to help voters understand the changes in advance.

The board agreed to ask SRPC to prepare draft warrant language (and to use grant-funded assistance where available) and to route the drafts to counsel for legal review before scheduling public hearings. Members also discussed the need to identify precisely which sections of local zoning would be revised and to provide clear exhibit pages showing the proposed replacement text for voters.