Planning board begins public outreach, schedules developer briefings as state law forces ADU and multifamily reviews

The Brentwood Planning Board opened a broad discussion on a package of draft regulations intended to bring local ordinances into compliance with recent state law changes affecting accessory dwelling units (ADUs), multifamily development in commercial zones and workforce-housing rules.

A consultant team working with the town presented four draft regulatory tools and recommended the board prioritize the ADU changes first because the state has already updated that statute; the consultant said ADU changes are the most straightforward to implement and present a lower public-resistance risk. The board and consultants discussed a phased public-outreach plan with short informational newsletter articles: ADUs first, multifamily next, and workforce-housing materials later in the outreach series.

Board members and the consultant focused significant discussion on multifamily zoning, density, and local water/sewer constraints. The consultant noted the state’s recent mandate requiring towns to allow multifamily development in commercial zones; the board must respond by its implementation deadline (speakers referenced a July 1 deadline next year). Consultant representatives advised the board that suggested densities in model ordinances often assume municipal water and sewer and said the town should compile local parcel, soils and water-resource analyses so density recommendations are demonstrably practicable in Brentwood. Several members urged hiring or asking a local resident engineering expert to run feasibility checks on representative parcels before the town adopts high density numbers that might alarm voters.

Board members also discussed workforce-housing tracking mechanisms (ways to require and monitor units designated as workforce housing) and legal risk: the consultant warned that failing to make a good-faith effort to comply with the state workforce-housing statute can lead to litigation. Members said presentation and messaging at town meeting will be critical; they directed staff and the consultant to prepare three short newsletter articles timed before town-meeting season and to invite two local developers/engineers to brief the board at a special meeting to give practical examples and numbers.

The planning board and consultant agreed to pursue guest presentations in September or October; the consultant will coordinate with developers and prepare example projects and density-comparables, emphasizing scenarios that rely on well-and-septic systems rather than municipal water when appropriate.

Ending: The board set a schedule for outreach documents and asked staff and the consultant to reconvene with example parcel analyses and developer briefings so the board can present measurable, locally grounded proposals at upcoming town-meeting outreach events.