Planning board approves ADU at 4A Stebbins Street; nearby church raises parking concerns

The Worcester Planning Board on July 23 approved a special permit allowing an accessory dwelling unit at 4A Stebbins Street that exceeds the by-right gross floor area threshold for internal ADUs.

Designer Rafael Hernandez of Acropolis Design told the board the basement conversion would create a one-bedroom ADU inside a three-family building constructed in 2021. Hernandez said the basement is mostly finished, contains some mechanicals and will require an egress well; the building already has a sprinkler system.

Planning staff (Olivia Houle) summarized the request as a gross-floor-area exemption for an internal ADU in an RL-7 district and recommended one new tree be planted on the property because none existed when the building was constructed.

During public comment, Bob Johnson, chairman of the trustees for Quinsigamond United Methodist Church across the street, said the church already experiences overflow parking from nearby tenants and expressed concern that adding a dwelling would worsen on-street parking congestion and block drop-off space used by disabled parishioners. Planning staff responded that the ADU ordinance permits some internal ADUs by right (when under 900 square feet) and that the board's authority here was limited to the size exemption; staff also suggested the church consider the city's on-street handicap/accessible parking process if they seek a designated curb space.

After no further public comment and no significant staff objections beyond the tree requirement, the board voted 5–0 to close the hearing and approve the special permit subject to the staff-recommended conditions on page 3 of the staff memo.