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Planning Board recommends changes to ADU zoning to align with state law; board endorses draft text to town council
Summary
The Planning Board voted to recommend a zoning text amendment to implement state ADU requirements, including an 8‑foot accessory‑structure setback and an 18‑foot by‑right height cap with proportional setback increases for taller accessory structures.
At its March 11 meeting the Planning Board reviewed a draft zoning text amendment intended to align Braintree’s accessory dwelling unit (ADU) rules with the 2024 Massachusetts Affordable Homes Act and the Department of Housing guidelines issued January 31. Assistant Director Connor Murphy summarized the principal changes: clarified definitions, table of principal uses updates, and new dimensional rules for accessory structures when used for ADUs.
Key elements in the draft text include an 8‑foot setback for accessory structures used as ADUs (instead of the town’s previous 5‑foot proposals), a by‑right height limit of 18 feet (1½ stories) for ADU accessory structures with a mechanism to allow up to 20 feet or more where the applicant increases rear yard setbacks proportionally (examples were discussed to ensure taller accessory units sit further from property lines). The draft follows state guidance limiting ADU sizes to half the primary dwelling or 900 square feet, whichever is smaller, and clarifies that short‑term rentals remain prohibited under town code.
The board held a public hearing on the accompanying town council order and voted to recommend the revised text to the council. Members asked staff to circulate the redline version of the proposed ordinance text and noted that building permit review and site inspections will enforce the new setback and height rules. The board’s vote is a recommendation to the Town Council, which must enact the ordinance change.
Why it matters: The changes implement state‑level ADU requirements locally while attempting to preserve neighborhood character through dimensional controls. The Planning Board’s recommendation advances the amendment to the Town Council for final action.
