At a special meeting on Nov. 25, the Gardner City Planning Board voted to refer to the City Council a proposed amendment to Chapter 6.75 of the home zoning ordinance that would change the ordinance’s ADU-occupancy language from 'may' to 'shall' and confirm that accessory dwelling units cannot be sold separately from their primary homes.

Unidentified Speaker 2 summarized the proposal, saying Councilor Hegland "proposed an amendment to chapter 6 75, for the, home zoning, ordinance, Striking out 'may be rented or occupied by family members' ... and replacing 'may' with 'shall.'" The speaker said the intent is to remove restrictions that limit who may occupy ADUs while preserving the rule that ADUs are not sold separately from the primary residence.

Board members asked for questions; none were raised and Unidentified Speaker 2 said the change "makes sense to me." A motion "to approve the amendment as presented" was made and seconded. The board approved the motion by voice vote; the transcript records the motion, second and an affirmative voice vote but does not identify the mover by name or provide a numeric tally. The Planning Board recorded the outcome as a referral back to the City Council for further consideration.

Unidentified Speaker 1 announced the board's next meeting is scheduled for Dec. 9 at 6:30 p.m. The meeting ended after a motion to adjourn passed by voice vote.

What happens next: The amendment will be considered by the Gardner City Council; the Planning Board’s action was a referral and not a final change to the municipal code. The City Council will determine whether to adopt, amend, or reject the proposed ordinance language at a future meeting (date not specified in this transcript).