[Massplanners] How to convince voters to allow accessory apartments?
roberta cameron
rcameron at gmail.com
Wed Oct 20 12:39:41 EDT 2021
These are all great selling points, but one that I haven't seen mentioned
yet is that allowing ADU's will increase privacy and security, improving
the quality of life for people who already legally share their homes with
family members, caretakers, or boarders. Currently there isn't a limit on
how many family members can live in a home, and there can be a limited
number of unrelated individuals to live together. Without ADUs, people who
have intergenerational households or unrelated household members living
with them either out of personal need, convenience, or financial support,
must share communal living space. Allowing ADUs will increase the safety
and comfort of people in these living situations.
I would also ponder whether a zoning requirement that people who live in
one housing unit must be related to people who live in another housing unit
is in violation of Fair Housing.
Best,
Roberta Cameron, AICP
*Community Preservation Act Manager*
Mayor’s Office of Strategic Planning and Community Development
City of Somerville
rcameron at somervillema.gov <lmorton at somervillema.gov>
On Wed, Oct 20, 2021 at 11:56 AM Ella Wise via MassPlanners <
massplanners at masscptc.org> wrote:
> Thanks for the question, Paige! Here are a few resources that I've come
> across to help with ADU reform:
>
> - Abundant Housing MA just hosted a webinar on this question with a focus
> on Arlington's recent amendments. You can view the recording of "Winning
> ADUs in Arlington & Prospects for State Action" here
> <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oxJQH6ek-NA>
> - Equitable Arlington provides a trove of communication materials. See the website
> here <https://equitable-arlington.org/category/housing/zoning/>,
> including a very effective FAQ
> <https://menotomymatters.com/assets/docs/ADUFactSheet_BThornton.pdf>
> authored by Barbara Thornton.
> - AARP offers resources on ADUs, including *The ABCs of ADUs
> <https://www.aarp.org/content/dam/aarp/livable-communities/livable-documents/documents-2019/ADU-guide-web-singles-071619.pdf>*
> - Here is a summary of ADU benefits based on the materials I've reviewed:
>
> 1. Provide homeowners more options
> - Downsize while staying on your property and live in the ADU
> - House a caretaker on your property
> - House your children or parents
> - Gain an extra source of income by renting out an ADU
> 2. Provide less-expensive housing choices
> - Cost less than a new single-family home on a separate lot, thus
> provide options for low- and moderate-income residents
> - Help seniors stay in their community and “age in place” by
> renting out their ADU or downsizing the living in it themselves
> - Provide smaller housing options to meet the growing needs of
> empty nesters, smaller families, and young adults
> - Help make it easier for people who work in town to live in town,
> including teachers, firefighters, and nurses (to name a few)
> 3. Have a low impact on the environment and neighborhood
> - No development of open space
> - No large, new construction projects
> - No new infrastructure needed
> - Gentle density designed and maintained by homeowners
> - More compact, infill development promotes more walkable, car-lite
> neighborhoods
>
>
>
> On Mon, Oct 18, 2021 at 1:39 PM Carolyn Britt via MassPlanners <
> massplanners at masscptc.org> wrote:
>
>> All,
>>
>> I had to present an article to Town Meeting this past saturday on
>> allowing a detached accessory dwelling unit in our downtown residential
>> area on lots of a certain size, and a maximum sf area of 1000sf. An earlier
>> article removed a density bonus in the same area, still allowing
>> multi-family units but reducing additional density that could be applied
>> for. By doing this, we will give up some payment in lieu for affordable
>> units, but we almost never got an actual unit from this.
>>
>> We had nine articles on the warrant, and virtually all of them passed
>> with a 90/10 vote, including all the zoning articles. The major article was
>> to authorize money for a new public safety building, so the bulk of voters
>> came out for that article.
>>
>> You all had me quite concerned that the ADU would never pass without a
>> lot more groundwork, but it was almost too easy. Maybe the answer is to
>> assess the other articles to see what large interest group might attend.
>> But I would not have guessed that supporters of a new public safety
>> building would also support an ADU by-law.
>>
>> In addition, we got the Town to commit to building the new building fully
>> electric with ground source heat pumps and net zero. The tour of the new
>> police station in Beverly that is also electric/ground source/net zero
>> helped a great deal. Thanks Beverly!
>>
>> Wishing you all well with your ADU efforts, and similar success.
>>
>> Carolyn
>>
>> Carolyn Britt, AICP
>> Community Investment Associates
>> P.O. Box 235
>> Ipswich, MA 01938
>> (978) 356-2164
>> (978) 317-2145 (cell)
>> (978) 356-9881
>>
>> On 10/13/2021 11:35 AM, Rachel Nadkarni via MassPlanners wrote:
>>
>> Hi Paige,
>>
>> I was with the City of Newton during the adoption of the Accessory
>> Dwelling Unit changes. Part of the discussion we had with the community
>> then was that each aspect of an accessory dwelling unit was already allowed
>> in another form.
>>
>> - The ADU didn't allow for more square footage than was already
>> allowed on a property
>> - By-right ADUs in accessory structures had to fit into existing
>> by-right accessory structure sizes
>> - Renting rooms to unrelated individuals was already allowed, and the
>> same limit would apply whether or not those individuals were in an ADU or
>> not
>> - Having a second kitchen in a home was already possible, and not
>> unprecedented
>>
>> The focus then was on the flexibility this allowed families to layout
>> their interiors as works for them, since the true distinguisher of an ADU
>> would then be the key-locked door between the spaces. Without the locking
>> door, everything else about the ADU would be compliant with zoning.
>>
>> The other thing we discussed, was that the rights allowed to the
>> accessory unit were limited compared to the second unit on a 2-family home.
>> In the accessory unit, there was no possibility of condo-ization, whereas
>> 2-family homes could have two separate owners with each unit having all the
>> related property rights. Under the pre-existing rules on renting rooms, in
>> a 2-family condo, each unit could rent rooms to unrelated individuals, and
>> that wouldn't be possible in an ADU.
>>
>> Hopefully this is useful to Foxborough's discussion. We were able to
>> build off of the existing renting of rooms allowance, and that may not be
>> the case in some communities.
>>
>> Best wishes,
>> Rachel
>>
>> Rachel Nadkarni
>> Senior Planner - Urban Revitalization Specialist
>> City of Somerville, Office of Strategic Planning and Community Development
>>
>> On Wed, Oct 13, 2021 at 10:33 AM Anthony Flint via MassPlanners <
>> massplanners at masscptc.org> wrote:
>>
>>> The experience of Durango, Colorado might be instructive:
>>> https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-05-17/how-one-colorado-city-instantly-created-more-affordable-housing-by-relaxing-rules-on-accessory-dwelling-units
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Newton has also had some success in an environment of occasional
>>> skepticism:
>>> https://steveworks.com/2019/05/everything-you-need-to-know-about-newton-accessory-apartments/
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Anthony Flint <http://anthonyflint.net/>
>>> Senior Fellow
>>> Lincoln Institute of Land Policy <https://www.lincolninst.edu/>
>>> 617-930-1044
>>> @landpolicy <https://twitter.com/landpolicy>
>>> *Finding answers in land*
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> *From:* MassPlanners <massplanners-bounces at masscptc.org> *On Behalf Of *Kristina
>>> Johnson via MassPlanners
>>> *Sent:* Wednesday, October 13, 2021 10:05 AM
>>> *To:* Paige <paigeplanner at gmail.com>
>>> *Cc:* massplanners at masscptc.org
>>> *Subject:* Re: [Massplanners] How to convince voters to allow accessory
>>> apartments?
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Hi Paige,
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> As Planning Board Chair for Framingham, I have been helping advance an
>>> ADU ordinance, and it’s not easy! Here’s what I have learned being on the
>>> other side of the table:
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> You have to engage the folks who would be positively affected by this
>>> by-law and have them tell the story for you whether it’s at the hearing or
>>> through the local newspaper. All this chatter about “who’s living next
>>> door,” and “stranger danger” gets quelled when you have brave folks make a
>>> public plea about how an ADU By-law would help a family member age in
>>> place, or take care of a permanently disabled child. During a Zoom
>>> workshop hosted by the Planning Board early this summer, we had community
>>> members talk about how an ADU ordinance would allow them to take care of a
>>> disabled child without resorting to institutionalization, or keep “Nana and
>>> Fluffy” in the household with their grandchildren, saving on nursing
>>> home/assisted living and child care costs. Some of the testimony got me
>>> misty eyed and definitely quieted the relentless voices who kept insisting
>>> that an ADU ordinance will do nothing but create illegal apartments, etc.
>>> We are still in the ordinance drafting stage and have not started the
>>> official amendment process.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Does Foxborough have a local newspaper? Get an article posted! There
>>> must be elected officials, including the Planning Board, who are champions
>>> of this effort, and if there are, let them do the “selling.” Here’s a link
>>> to the story the Framingham local paper ran, and it was blasted all over
>>> local social media.
>>> https://framinghamsource.com/index.php/2021/06/26/framingham-planning-board-takes-temperature-of-residents-on-in-law-apartment-ordinance/
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Good luck Paige!
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Kristina
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Ps. Planning Staff in Framingham has done an amazing job with this
>>> effort,
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> *Kristina Johnson, AICP*
>>>
>>> Director of Planning & Community Development
>>>
>>> Town of Hudson, MA
>>>
>>> President, Mass. Association of Planning Directors
>>>
>>> Tel: 978-562-2989
>>>
>>> Cell: 857-939-3427
>>>
>>> Email: kjohnson at townofhudson.org
>>>
>>> “Like” Hudson Planning and Community Development on Facebook [image:
>>> http://blogs-images.forbes.com/peterhimler/files/2014/02/high-res-logo_facebook1.png]
>>> <https://www.facebook.com/HudsonRecreation>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> *From:* MassPlanners <massplanners-bounces at masscptc.org> *On Behalf Of *Paige
>>> via MassPlanners
>>> *Sent:* Wednesday, October 13, 2021 8:48 AM
>>> *To:* massplanners at masscptc.org
>>> *Subject:* [Massplanners] How to convince voters to allow accessory
>>> apartments?
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Good morning all,
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Here in Foxborough we are going to be voting on whether to expand the
>>> current inlaw apartment bylaw to allow non-relatives to rent an ADU.
>>> Sounds simple, right? NOT! Folks insist this is creating multi-family
>>> housing in a single family district.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> We have been engaged in a conversation on housing for 2+ years now and I
>>> know we will get push back on this effort. I'm not sure we will get the
>>> required 2/3 vote (since we allow over 900 SF for our ADUs we don't qualify
>>> for the majority vote).
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Does anyone have any outreach, PR or data that I could use at the public
>>> hearing tomorrow night to inform residents on why allowing attached ADUs to
>>> be rented to non-relatives would be wise for Foxborough?
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Any case studies on how many ADUs were created once a similar provision
>>> was adopted in another town?
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> I think the "selling" of housing solutions is the hardest part of all of
>>> this. Folks are so resistant, at least out here in the suburbs. Any
>>> information or handouts or anything to make residents less afraid of this
>>> change would be greatly appreciated.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Thank you.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Paige Duncan, AICP
>>>
>>> Planning Director for the Town of Foxborough, MA
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> --
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> *****************************
>>> Paige E. Duncan, AICP, Planning Director
>>> Foxborough Town Hall, 40 South Street
>>> Foxborough, Massachusetts 02035
>>> Ph: 508-543-1250
>>>
>>> pduncan at foxboroughma.gov
>>> --
>>> MassPlanners mailing list
>>> MassPlanners at masscptc.org
>>> http://masscptc.org/mailman/listinfo/massplanners_masscptc.org
>>>
>>
>> --
>> Carolyn Britt, AICP
>> Community Investment Associates
>> P.O. Box 235
>> Ipswich, MA 01938
>> (978) 356-2164
>> (978) 317-2145 (cell)
>> (978) 356-9881
>>
>> --
>> MassPlanners mailing list
>> MassPlanners at masscptc.org
>> http://masscptc.org/mailman/listinfo/massplanners_masscptc.org
>>
> --
> MassPlanners mailing list
> MassPlanners at masscptc.org
> http://masscptc.org/mailman/listinfo/massplanners_masscptc.org
>
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