Springfield subcommittee debates ordinance setting minimum apartment sizes and discretionary waiver for micro-units

Councilor Curran introduced an ordinance at a subcommittee meeting to define apartment types and set a 500-square-foot minimum for one-bedroom units in Springfield, while allowing developers to seek a discretionary waiver to build smaller units.

The measure, Curran said, is intended to give councilors “common definitions of what a 1 bedroom, a 2 bedroom, a 3 bedroom, and a 4 bedroom is” and to prevent developers from marketing very small units as full one-bedroom apartments. Curran cited guidance developed by MassHousing and the Department of Housing and Community Development as the basis for the proposed minimums.

Supporters and opponents said the proposal could shape the city’s housing supply in different ways. Housing department and code enforcement officials warned that adding a discretionary waiver or another approval step could delay or discourage development at a time the city needs more units, while nonprofit providers and developers said smaller, well‑designed micro-units with on-site services are essential to housing people exiting homelessness and others who need affordable options.

Curran, who said he "introduced this legislation about a year ago," told the subcommittee the specific concern arose after developers won approval for buildings that included…