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Dover planners tidy ADU language to match state guidance; no change to local process
Summary
Town Planner Melissa presented housekeeping edits to Dover's accessory-dwelling-unit bylaws to align definitions and measurement with state guidance; the board said the changes will not alter local ADU process and the public asked for data on existing ADUs and septic/water protections.
Town Planner Melissa updated the Planning Board on proposed edits to Article 18 of the zoning bylaw at the board's April 6 public hearing, saying the changes respond to Attorney General guidance and do not alter where or how accessory dwelling units (ADUs) are permitted. Melissa said the draft replaces the phrase “single-family dwelling” with the state-preferred “principal dwelling,” adds a statutory definition of gross floor area used to size ADUs, and inserts a definition of “principal dwelling.”
"This isn't primarily for single families," Melissa said, describing changes as "more of a housekeeping" effort to bring local language into alignment with the Housing Choice Act and the Attorney General's comments. She told the board the edits clarify wording and square-foot calculations but do not change permitting steps, location allowances, or the process by which multiple ADUs on a lot would require a special permit.
Planning board members praised the work. "Dover has really been a leader when it comes to ADUs in the state," one member said, thanking staff for responding to the state's feedback and for the town's earlier adoption of ADU-friendly bylaws. Melissa told the board the revised materials and redline/clean copies are posted on the town website so residents can review the exact language before the hearing continues.
During public comment, a resident asked how many ADUs exist in town and whether adding ADUs puts pressure on water or septic systems. Melissa said she did not have a townwide tally available at the meeting and recommended adding a count for Town Meeting materials; she also said ADUs are reviewed under the same Board of Health and Conservation Commission processes as principal residences, and that adequacy of wells and septic is handled through those agencies' permitting and review.
The public hearing on the zoning articles was continued to 7 p.m. on April 13 to allow Melissa to incorporate public and board comments and circulate a revised draft ahead of Town Meeting.
