Kingston Planning Board refers detached ADU proposal at 18 Church Street to town counsel after lengthy debate over whether it would appear as a second dwelling

David and Karen Flanders asked the Kingston Planning Board for conditional use permits for a detached accessory dwelling unit (ADU) and a driveway extension on their five-acre property at 18 Church Street. The board held a first public hearing and then voted to refer legal interpretation of the ADU appearance standard to town counsel and continue the hearing.

The dispute centered on whether the proposed detached ADU—designed as a single-story building with a four-car garage—“has the appearance of an accessory use, for example a garage or a barn,” as required by the town’s ADU rules. Town planner Glenn Greenwood told the board the ADU’s living area meets ordinance size limits but that the addition of a four-bay garage makes the building read, from many elevations, like a second dwelling rather than an accessory structure. Greenwood highlighted that the ordinance language requires the detached…