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.

- Small homes/tiny homes and starter homes: The ordinance adopts a local definition for “small homes” now allowed in the Massachusetts building code and creates a “starter home” category intended as mid-sized units for first-time buyers and downsizers.

- Expedited permitting: A 90‑day target for permitting of housing projects is proposed (with faster timelines in some veteran‑preference projects), though the mayor noted the state’s draft regulations may impose different timelines for large developments.

- Multifamily-by-right overlay: The proposal establishes a targeted overlay district that follows freight tracks and parcels along Route 2, Chestnut Street, Sherman Street, Main and Park streets and uses Puffer’s Pond and Douglas Road as outer boundaries. The overlay is explicitly described as an option that preserves the underlying zoning; property owners may keep existing uses or opt into multifamily opportunities without the additional special-permit and zoning-board processes that can add cost.

- Parking and dimensional changes: The ordinance would shift some parking requirements — for example, moving from “one parking space per bedroom” to “one space per dwelling unit” in some contexts — allow off-site parking agreements within a roughly 1,100‑foot radius, permit up to 40% of spaces to be compact, and provide greater flexibility for setbacks and parking location on smaller lots. Snow-storage provisions would become more flexible subject to site-plan review.

- Inspections and other administrative changes: The city would relax annual building‑inspection requirements for owner‑occupied multifamily buildings of five units or fewer while retaining annual inspections for non‑owner‑occupied buildings.

Mayor Nicholson cited permit and valuation data to explain the proposal’s urgency: he said Gardner has not had new multifamily construction since 2009 (recent multifamily activity has been renovations), residential valuations rose substantially since 2019 (the mayor cited about a 102% increase for residential valuation) and local rents and sale prices have risen. He told the bodies that preliminary studies estimate Gardner is short roughly 750 housing units to meet current demand in 2025.

Public testimony was mixed. John Babaci of Cando Realty said the changes would make more projects feasible, citing parking and setback constraints that had caused the firm to decline projects; Jason Stevens, director of Community Development and Planning, said his office frequently fields housing inquiries and supports the approach. Phil Grancelitz, a property owner, asked why the overlay excluded parts of South Gardner and requested clarification on boundaries and property rights; Councilor Mackenzie voiced similar concerns. Mayor Nicholson said the overlay targets areas with the highest concentration of multifamily properties and vacancy and said he would not oppose expansion if members want to consider it.

Councilor Brooks asked that the planning board and DCDP study parking consequences more thoroughly, citing historical vehicle counts and snow‑emergency impacts. Councilor Heade asked about betterment charges for extending water and sewer to tiny‑home developments; staff replied developers would generally pay betterments when the city extends utilities. The mayor and staff emphasized that state building and sanitary codes still apply to construction and occupancy.

Ending: The public hearing on item 11704 closed without a vote. Councilors and the planning board will review the packet materials and proposed language; any formal votes or ordinance adoption would occur in later proceedings.