Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Planning Policy topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Acushnet planners preview master plan, recommend grants and debate ADU limits
Summary
Town planner Victoria Alaro told the Planning Board the master plan will kick off in October and suggested pairing related projects and pursuing Complete Streets, Community Compact and online-permitting grants; the board also reviewed a draft accessory dwelling unit bylaw and discussed a possible local limit on additional units.
The Acushnet Planning Board on Sept. 5 heard a planner update on the master plan, several grant opportunities and a draft accessory dwelling unit (ADU) bylaw.
"I basically mirrored the state's requirements with the exception of adding ... prohibiting short-term rentals," said Victoria Alaro, Acushnet town planner, describing the draft ADU bylaw staff prepared. Alaro said ADUs could expand housing options for older residents, recent graduates and homeowners seeking supplemental rental income, but suggested the bylaw incorporate state statutory language and anticipate later Attorney General review.
Board members debated a local limit on the number of accessory units a single lot could contain. Several members favored a practical cap (for example, one primary residence plus one ADU and one additional unit by special permit) but noted a possible conflict with state law and said the language should be vetted before a public hearing.
Alaro also outlined grant and planning opportunities tied to the master plan. She described the Complete Streets program — adoption of a Complete Streets policy opens technical-assistance funding (she cited up to $38,000 for prioritization planning) and later eligibility for construction grants (the program can support up to $500,000 per community over a four-year span). She recommended staff meet with the town administrator and the select board about pairing the master plan with an Open Space and Recreation Plan update and pursuing Community Compact best-practices grants and an online-permitting startup grant.
Next steps: staff will schedule an internal kickoff in early October, post vacancy notices for citizen representatives to serve on the master-plan committee, and refine ADU draft language for future public hearing and Attorney General review.
