Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Accessory Dwelling Units topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Alton planners to update zoning to comply with state law allowing detached accessory dwelling units
Summary
Zoning Amendment Committee members agreed the town must change several ordinance sections to conform to new state statutes allowing detached accessory dwelling units and restricting local parking requirements.
Alton's Zoning Amendment Committee concluded Wednesday that the town's zoning ordinance must be revised to comply with recent state statutory changes on accessory dwelling units and parking.
Town planner Jesse MacAother told members the state now permits detached accessory dwelling units (ADUs) in areas where residential uses are allowed; the committee discussed edits to the use table, special-exception provisions and related text to avoid conflict with state law.
MacAother identified multiple ordinance sections that require updates: removing ADUs from local special-exception requirements in Section 4 13 f and Section 5 20, adding ADUs by right in the Lakeshore residential zone in the table of uses, and adjusting text that presumes ADUs must be attached or limited to certain configurations. He also flagged a recently enacted state restriction that limits towns'ability to require more parking than the statute permits; he suggested changing a local parking reference from four spaces to two where appropriate.
Committee members agreed the changes are not optional housekeeping; state law preempts conflicting local rules, so the committee should prepare conforming amendments. Members discussed whether the changes could be grouped as a single administrative "housekeeping" warrant article to update definitions and references that the state altered. The committee asked staff to consult town counsel and return with consolidated proposed amendments.
MacAother also noted one numerical requirement in the local ADU section: the ordinance currently includes a minimum ADU size threshold written as "not less than 750 square feet" (noted in the draft as "7 50 square feet"). The committee left that threshold language in place where it matches statutory language but intends to check for other cross-references and inconsistent phrasing.
No formal vote on amendment language occurred; staff will draft conforming changes and coordinate with town counsel before bringing proposals back to the committee.
