Gardner hearing lays out broad zoning changes — ADUs, tiny homes, overlays, expedited permits and parking reforms

The City of Gardner held a joint public hearing Nov. 3 on a wide-ranging zoning amendment package intended to increase housing production and address a perceived shortage of roughly 750 housing units in 2025, city officials said.

Mayor Mike Nicholson, who co-sponsored the ordinance, framed the changes as a response to a supply-and-demand imbalance. He told the council and planning board the city’s population has risen roughly 18.9% since 1980 to about 21,287 residents and that resident births reported by the state have increased about 29% over the same span. “We’re seeing a massive increase in demand for housing here in Gardner, but this stock and the supply of housing has really remained stagnant, if not lowered, over the last several decades,” the mayor said.

The ordinance package includes multiple elements:

- Accessory dwelling units (ADUs): The draft implements the state’s Affordable Homes Act requirement to allow ADUs in residential districts and reflects a welfare‑committee amendment that would increase the proposed maximum ADU size from 900 square feet to 1,250 square feet. Mayor Nicholson said the city cannot be more restrictive than state law but can adopt more permissive size limits.