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Planning Board defers ADU edits after Attorney General and town‑council comments cause confusion
Summary
Members reviewed Attorney General edits to proposed ADU language and found conflicting handwritten comments from town council; the board decided to delay adoption, seek clarification from staff and the AG, and place a clarified ADU item on a future agenda for the fall town meeting.
The Town of Hampden Planning Board on May 13 discussed proposed amendments for accessory dwelling units (ADUs) and delayed further action after members found inconsistencies between Attorney General edits and handwritten changes attributed to town council.
Board members said the version labeled “AG edits only” should be confirmed with the Attorney General’s office before publication. Several members expressed concern that additional markings and handwritten notes in other draft copies did not reflect prior planning board discussions, particularly on parking and location provisions for ADUs. One member noted, “this is not indicative of our discussion,” and the board agreed to postpone decisions until staff (Joanne) could confirm which edits were AG‑mandated and which were town‑council suggestions.
Board members emphasized that any amendments beyond the AG’s edits would need to go before fall town meeting and then return to the Attorney General’s office after town meeting action. The group also discussed whether certain site‑plan references could be removed; staff reported the AG advised the board that site‑plan information could not be removed from the draft.
Because of the conflicting annotations and the absence of key staff members who could clarify provenance, the planning board added the ADU discussion to a future agenda and will seek Joanne’s clarifications and, where necessary, further AG review.
