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Attorney General trims Duxbury—s ADU language; planning board to incorporate AG edits
Summary
The Attorney General disapproved two portions of the ADU warrant language; the board discussed removing the disapproved phrases (including the term 'single-family') from the published bylaw and whether to submit clarifying edits at town meeting. Staff and counsel will coordinate to determine whether amended text requires resubmission to the AG.
The planning board heard an update that the Attorney General—s office disapproved two clauses in Duxbury—s recently adopted accessory-dwelling-unit (ADU) bylaw. Town counsel advised the board that the AG—s edits will be reflected in the published bylaw unless the board submits new language for town-meeting action.
According to board discussion, the AG—s letter removed the word "single-family" in two places and struck a small dimensional provision, which, if simply removed, leaves a sentence that some members worried might be syntactically unclear. One board member summarized the action: the bylaw will be published reflecting what was voted at town meeting but with the AG—s disapproved text removed; any replacement language would itself require review and likely resubmission.
Town counsel and staff agreed to confer with Jeff Blake (town counsel) about whether the planning board should propose a small corrective amendment at town meeting to restore a clear sentence structure or leave the AG—s edits in place and address clarity in a subsequent amendment. The board asked that counsel circulate recommended language before the next meeting and to indicate whether replacement language would need fresh AG review.
Next steps: counsel will coordinate with staff and return recommended text and a procedural recommendation on whether to submit corrective language at town meeting or allow the AG-edited text to stand until a future amendment.
