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Town meeting rejects change that would have allowed larger by‑right additions on nonconforming homes
Summary
After extended public comment, town meeting voted down a proposal to raise the by‑right threshold for additions to preexisting nonconforming single‑ and two‑family homes from 25% to 75%. Supporters said the change would reduce routine board workload; opponents said it would remove neighbor notice and public hearing protections.
Town meeting debated a proposed amendment to the zoning bylaw that would have altered rules for additions to preexisting nonconforming single‑ and two‑family residences, and the body rejected the change by a large margin.
The planning department and a working group recommended text revisions intended to make small additions that do not change setbacks easier to permit while reserving stricter review (a variance) for additions that create new encroachments into setbacks. Planning Director Sarah Dixon explained with diagrams how the proposal would treat four example additions differently, and she said the proposed changes…
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