Resident wins Select Board approval to swap ADU designation, building inspector to review occupancy

At the Aug. 18 meeting the Select Board approved a motion to change the town’s assessment card for 432 Middle Road so that the stick-built home is recorded as the primary dwelling and the mobile home on the property is recorded as the accessory dwelling unit (ADU). Nikki Wanoski, who lives at 432 Middle Road, told the board her family occupies the stick-built house while her mother and grandmother live in the mobile home. Wanoski said the current assessment card lists the mobile home as the primary dwelling and that the stick-built house — built about 20 years ago — does not have a certificate of occupancy. “My family and I live in the stick-built home… my mom and my grandmother live in the mobile home, and it is used as the ADU,” Wanoski said. The board moved to change the assessment card to match the property’s current use and instructed the building inspector to inspect the stick-built house and determine whether a certificate of occupancy can be issued. Board members discussed that occupancy inspections are done by the building inspector and that any certificate must reflect current code requirements or any applicable grandfathering; they noted standards may have changed since the house was constructed. The Select Board voted in favor of the motion and said the building inspector would visit the property as soon as possible. The board indicated it will not pursue enforcement action for the property’s prior status while the regular inspection and paperwork proceed.