Ashland meeting reviews proposed 2025 zoning edits on waterfront access and accessory dwellings

At a meeting in Ashland, the Chair reviewed proposed 2025 zoning ordinance amendments that revise waterfront-access standards and create a formal pathway for accessory dwelling units (ADUs) attached to single-family homes.

The Chair said the draft changes include edits to §4.1 on waterfront access, specifying minimum depth for access strips and adjusting how protected-shoreline limits are described. The Chair also stated the draft adds a provision allowing a secondary dwelling as an accessory use to an existing single-family residence while aiming to "maintain the minimal cultural characteristics of single-family residence neighborhoods." The Chair referenced RSA 674:71-73 as the enabling statute cited in the draft.

A committee member said the proposal is motivated in part by housing supply concerns, noting "there is a growing need for more diverse, affordable housing opportunities" and supported the creation of small-scale accessory living spaces. The discussion included a stated occupancy limit in the draft described aloud as not more than two adults per unit.

The draft also inserts a new subsection that removes initial lot-size, footage or location minimums for ADU construction, leaving design and architectural guidance as the primary controls. The Chair cautioned that the text remains a work in progress and recommended staff not publish or implement the changes until all edits are final.

The meeting record shows the group discussed mechanical text edits — striking specific words and adjusting cross-references in §4.1 and related definitions — but did not adopt final language during this session. The Chair indicated further review and a later meeting will follow before any official posting to the municipal website.

Next steps: the committee deferred final publication and implementation pending completion of all edits and additional review at a future meeting.