Brentwood planning board hires consultants to begin ADU and workforce-housing work under HOP grant

Consultants from Resilience Planning and Design met with the Brentwood Planning Board on a hybrid call to begin work funded by a HOP (Housing Opportunity Program) grant and to scope next steps on accessory dwelling units (ADUs), the town’s workforce-housing obligations, and revisions to the multifamily district.

The consultants — identified in the meeting as Steve (Resilience Planning and Design), Mark (Resilience Planning and Design) and Nathan (Resilience Planning and Design) — told the board they intend to meet monthly from January through April to develop regulatory options and public‑engagement materials. “We’re not expecting by April to have regulation completely drafted, but we want to start working toward what would be a good match for Brentwood,” Steve said, outlining a timeline of review, options and outreach materials.

Why it matters: Brentwood’s existing workforce‑housing rules no longer match local housing costs, and the town’s multifamily district has seen little use since its creation. The board and consultants said early public engagement will be essential before any zoning changes go to a town vote.

Town planner Glenn Greenwood summarized the challenge: the town has limited multifamily capacity and a multifamily district that, as written, applies only to a small area and effectively requires at least a 20‑acre minimum. “We have to do something about apartments,” Greenwood said, noting past court involvement led to the current multifamily ordinance but produced little development. He told consultants the town needs regulations that “provide apartments” if it expects to retain workers and younger households.

Consultants and board members flagged specific…