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Board reiterates: lister's card sets bedroom count; loft not counted without conversion
Summary
The Montgomery board told the applicant that occupancy is governed by the lister's card: lofts and pull-out couches do not add bedrooms unless the space is converted and reassessed; converting a loft could trigger septic and sewer upgrades.
The board told the applicant that the town uses the lister's card to determine the official number of bedrooms for occupancy calculations, and that informal sleeping spaces such as a loft or pullout sofa are not counted unless the property owner converts the space and updates the lister's card.
"We go by the number of bedrooms on the lister's card," the chair said during the hearing, noting the current card lists three bedrooms. Members explained that adding a bedroom through conversion could require reassessment and potentially changes to the septic or sewer setup because those systems are designed and approved by bedroom count.
The applicant said converting the loft and getting a reassessment would be something they might consider in the future but acknowledged that additional work, including possible sewer upgrades, could be expensive.
