Revere Council adopts amended ADU rules to comply with state law, limits parking and curb cuts

The Revere City Council adopted changes to the city's accessory dwelling unit (ADU) zoning ordinance after a lengthy discussion of state requirements and local controls.

City Planning Director Tom Skrowski told the council the state's model bylaw requires municipalities to allow ADUs by right where single-family homes are allowed, and the draft before the council was written to meet that state standard while adding local limits the city considers reasonable.

The ordinance narrows where ADUs must be allowed by removing the automatic right in commercially zoned and industrial districts; prohibits variances for ADUs; limits new driveway curb cuts in most cases; restricts off-street parking for ADUs within a half mile of transit; and sets size, setback and detached-unit coverage limits. Under the final version the city set a 900-square-foot protected-size limit drawn from the model bylaw, prohibited new ADUs below the FEMA 100-year base flood elevation, and limited detached ADU footprint in rear/side yards to 25% generally and up to 35% in specified floodplain cases where the ADU cannot meet other…