Danvers Affordable Housing Trust hears draft housing production plan, public raises zoning and ADU concerns

Noah Harper, a consultant with JM Golds and Associates, presented a draft housing production plan to the Town of Danvers Affordable Housing Trust and described demographic and affordability trends in Danvers.

Harper told the trust the plan is intended as a five‑year roadmap that combines data analysis and community input. "My kids can't live here. We can't afford to live here," he said, summarizing the affordability pressures his research found. He highlighted that roughly two‑thirds of Danvers households are one‑ or two‑person households and that cost burden — households paying more than 30% of income on housing — affects many local households.

The draft compiles census and regional data and a community survey, and offers goals and strategies rather than mandatory requirements. The plan's four core goals are to sustain the town's affordable housing portfolio with an emphasis on deeper affordability; address senior and accessible housing needs; promote housing production that builds local wealth while adding attainable homes; and leverage key sites such as portions of the Endicott Street/Liberty Tree Mall corridor for mixed‑income development. Harper also recommended education and permitting assistance for accessory dwelling units (ADUs), consideration of converting single‑family zoning in places to allow duplexes over time, and a planning study for the Endicott Street corridor.

Trust and staff emphasized that the housing production plan is a draft and not a binding mandate. Planning staff told the meeting the plan would be posted on the town website for public review and that further actions (zoning changes, studies, or bylaws) would require separate public processes, including potential town meeting votes. The planning office said it expects to start a planning process for the Endicott Street Corridor in 2025 and confirmed a locally executed partnership with Essex County Habitat for Humanity that has assisted two properties through a home‑repair program.

Residents and town meeting members raised concerns about specific strategies. Lauren Steves, Precinct 3 town meeting member, said that while she supports affordable housing in principle, she opposed allowing two‑family homes by right across residential districts and cautioned that small lots and parking and service capacity pose constraints: "Changing the zoning bylaws to allow 2 family homes by right in all residential districts does not increase affordable housing in Danvers," she said. Kevin Barich, a resident, cautioned against reading the survey as a measure of broad public support: "The survey is not set up for that," he said, noting self‑selection in response samples. Other speakers expressed concern about preserving neighborhood character, open‑space protections, and infrastructure capacity.

Planning staff answered technical questions about ADU rules adopted under state law and current local interpretation of parking requirements. Staff said the town is applying the Housing Livable Communities guidance so that ADUs follow the principal‑structure setbacks and that the town currently requires one off‑street parking space for ADUs where it requires parking for single‑family homes. Staff also reiterated that the state ADU allowance is in effect and that the town is working to adopt local policies to address short‑term rentals and EF LAs (existing family‑limited accessory units) in a way that aligns with state rules.

The Trust did not take a formal vote to adopt the draft plan at the meeting; trustees and staff said the document will be revised after public comment. The plan, in draft form, will remain available online for further public input and refinement.

The draft plan includes data summaries and examples from other communities; Harper encouraged trustees and residents to review the document and return feedback to planning staff. "It's a process," he said as the discussion concluded.