Planning board backs 1,000‑square‑foot cap for accessory dwelling units, asks staff to draft amendment

The South Berwick Planning Board voted unanimously to ask staff to draft an amendment recommending a 1,000‑square‑foot maximum for accessory dwelling units (ADUs) and to forward the draft to the town council for the public‑hearing process.

Board members and several residents debated whether ADU sizing should be a fixed square‑foot cap, a percentage of the primary dwelling, or governed by footprint and setback rules. Supporters said a 1,000‑square‑foot cap provides flexibility for two‑bedroom units without turning ADUs into de facto second houses; skeptics warned larger ADUs could remove parking protections downtown or undermine the accessory character of the units. One board member said, “A thousand square feet is pretty darn good,” summarizing the compromise many members favored.

Staff reminded the board that state law constrains some local controls—most notably, the state prevents local parking requirements for ADUs—so the board must be careful to craft locally enforceable dimensional and setback protections rather than relying only on interior‑space limits.

The board directed staff to draft the ordinance language reflecting the 1,000‑square‑foot recommendation, including any related dimensional or setback clarifications, and to return the draft for further review and a public hearing. Members emphasized the recommendation is provisional: it can be revised after the staff draft, any workshops, and the public‑hearing record. The board recorded the recommendation as a unanimous vote to move the item forward.

Next steps: staff will prepare a draft amendment and the board will schedule the required public‑hearing steps with the town council and legal review before any final adoption.