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Eliot planners debate unit thresholds, conversions and limits on residential in commercial buildings
Summary
The Planning Board discussed changing structure-division thresholds from 3 to 5 units, distinguishing structural conversions from land subdivision, and allowing single dwelling units in commercial/industrial zones with restrictions (no ground-floor residential in hazard areas and no dwelling where industrial uses remain). The board also flagged renaming 'marijuana' to 'cannabis' in future amendments.
The Planning Board spent part of its May 19 meeting on potential amendments affecting subdivisions and conversions of existing structures. Members discussed proposals to change the threshold for dividing a structure from three units to five units, clarifying that the change refers to structural unit divisions (for example, converting a school to condominiums) rather than land subdivision.
Board members reviewed a proposed allowance for one dwelling unit in commercial/industrial (C/I) buildings, with a footnote disallowing a first-floor dwelling and language prohibiting a dwelling unit in a structure that still contains an industrial use for health and safety reasons. Floodplain and natural hazard exclusions were cited as grounds to prohibit residential use. The draft also flagged marijuana manufacturing structures (to be retitled 'cannabis' in a future amendment) as disallowed in certain zones; Title 28-B was mentioned as possibly relevant to those restrictions.
