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Commissioners say septic and water constraints limit multifamily housing; ADU rules under review
Summary
Mendon commissioners reviewed housing sections of the general plan and flagged state ADU rule changes and local septic/drain-field requirements that make fourplexes and denser multifamily development impractical in much of town.
Commissioners at the Mendon planning and zoning meeting identified regulatory and physical barriers that limit multifamily housing in the town.
Reading the housing chapter, S1 said the plan must be updated to reflect state requirements for moderate- and low-income housing and to modernize local provisions for accessory dwelling units. "We have a relatively permissive ADU policy compared to other towns, and even that has been changed and will have to be changed on here too," S1 said.
Commissioners discussed a specific local constraint: current septic and drain-field rules effectively require separate drain fields for each unit. "Now if you have a fourplex, you have to have 4 septics, 4 drain fields," S1 said, adding that the resulting land-area requirement makes fourplexes economically unviable. Commissioners said high clay content, a high water table in parts of Mendon and limited sewer infrastructure curb where denser housing can be located.
The commission agreed to identify sections of the general plan that should be revised, to consider ADU allowances that meet state law, and to raise the issue with City Council and the appropriate utility authorities when necessary.
