<div dir="ltr">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. <div><br></div><div>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.<br><div><br></div><div>Best,</div><div>Roberta Cameron, AICP</div><div><p style="color:rgb(32,31,30);font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;margin:0px"><i><span style="margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-style:inherit;font-variant:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-stretch:inherit;font-size:12pt;line-height:inherit;font-family:Corbel,Skia,sans-serif;vertical-align:baseline;color:inherit">Community Preservation Act Manager</span></i><br></p><p style="color:rgb(32,31,30);font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;margin:0px"><span style="margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-style:inherit;font-variant:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-stretch:inherit;font-size:10pt;line-height:inherit;font-family:Corbel,Skia,sans-serif;vertical-align:baseline;color:inherit">Mayor’s Office of Strategic Planning and Community Development</span></p><p style="color:rgb(32,31,30);font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;margin:0px"><span style="margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-style:inherit;font-variant:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-stretch:inherit;font-size:10pt;line-height:inherit;font-family:Corbel,Skia,sans-serif;vertical-align:baseline;color:inherit">City of Somerville</span></p><p style="color:rgb(32,31,30);font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;margin:0px"><span style="margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-style:inherit;font-variant:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-stretch:inherit;font-size:inherit;line-height:inherit;font-family:Cambria,serif;vertical-align:baseline;color:inherit"><a href="mailto:lmorton@somervillema.gov" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font:inherit;vertical-align:baseline"><span style="margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-style:inherit;font-variant:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-stretch:inherit;font-size:inherit;line-height:inherit;font-family:Corbel,Skia,sans-serif;vertical-align:baseline;color:inherit">rcameron@somervillema.gov</span></a></span></p></div></div></div><br><div class="gmail_quote"><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_attr">On Wed, Oct 20, 2021 at 11:56 AM Ella Wise via MassPlanners <<a href="mailto:massplanners@masscptc.org">massplanners@masscptc.org</a>> wrote:<br></div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex"><div dir="ltr">Thanks for the question, Paige! Here are a few resources that I've come across to help with ADU reform:<div><br></div><div>- Abundant Housing MA just hosted a webinar on this question with a focus on Arlington's recent amendments. You can view the recording of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oxJQH6ek-NA" target="_blank">"Winning ADUs in Arlington & Prospects for State Action" here</a></div><div>- Equitable Arlington provides a trove of communication materials. See the <a href="https://equitable-arlington.org/category/housing/zoning/" target="_blank">website here</a>, including a very <a href="https://menotomymatters.com/assets/docs/ADUFactSheet_BThornton.pdf" target="_blank">effective FAQ</a> authored by Barbara Thornton. </div><div>- AARP offers resources on ADUs, including <i><a href="https://www.aarp.org/content/dam/aarp/livable-communities/livable-documents/documents-2019/ADU-guide-web-singles-071619.pdf" target="_blank">The ABCs of ADUs</a></i></div><div>- Here is a summary of ADU benefits based on the materials I've reviewed:</div><ol><li>Provide homeowners more options </li><ul><li>Downsize while staying on your property and live in the ADU</li><li>House a caretaker on your property</li><li>House your children or parents</li><li>Gain an extra source of income by renting out an ADU</li></ul><li>Provide less-expensive housing choices <br></li><ul><li>Cost less than a new single-family home on a separate lot, thus provide options for low- and moderate-income residents</li><li>Help seniors stay in their community and “age in place” by renting out their ADU or downsizing the living in it themselves</li><li>Provide smaller housing options to meet the growing needs of empty nesters, smaller families, and young adults</li><li>Help make it easier for people who work in town to live in town, including teachers, firefighters, and nurses (to name a few)</li></ul><li>Have a low impact on the environment and neighborhood<br></li><ul><li>No development of open space</li><li>No large, new construction projects</li><li>No new infrastructure needed</li><li>Gentle density designed and maintained by homeowners</li><li>More compact, infill development promotes more walkable, car-lite neighborhoods </li></ul></ol><div><br></div></div><br><div class="gmail_quote"><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_attr">On Mon, Oct 18, 2021 at 1:39 PM Carolyn Britt via MassPlanners <<a href="mailto:massplanners@masscptc.org" target="_blank">massplanners@masscptc.org</a>> wrote:<br></div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex">
<div>
<p>All,</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>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!</p>
<p>Wishing you all well with your ADU efforts, and similar success.</p>
<p>Carolyn</p>
<pre cols="72">Carolyn Britt, AICP
Community Investment Associates
P.O. Box 235
Ipswich, MA 01938
(978) 356-2164
(978) 317-2145 (cell)
(978) 356-9881</pre>
<div>On 10/13/2021 11:35 AM, Rachel Nadkarni
via MassPlanners wrote:<br>
</div>
<blockquote type="cite">
<div dir="ltr">
<div dir="ltr">Hi Paige,
<div><br>
</div>
<div>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. </div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>The ADU didn't allow for more square footage than was
already allowed on a property</li>
<li>By-right ADUs in accessory structures had to fit into
existing by-right accessory structure sizes </li>
<li>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 </li>
<li>Having a second kitchen in a home was already
possible, and not unprecedented </li>
</ul>
<div>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. </div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>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.</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>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. </div>
</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>Best wishes,</div>
<div>Rachel </div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>Rachel Nadkarni </div>
<div>Senior Planner - Urban Revitalization Specialist</div>
<div>City of Somerville, Office of Strategic Planning and
Community Development</div>
</div>
<br>
<div class="gmail_quote">
<div dir="ltr" class="gmail_attr">On Wed, Oct 13, 2021 at
10:33 AM Anthony Flint via MassPlanners <<a href="mailto:massplanners@masscptc.org" target="_blank">massplanners@masscptc.org</a>>
wrote:<br>
</div>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex">
<div lang="EN-US">
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal">The experience of Durango, Colorado
might be instructive: <a href="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" target="_blank">
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</a></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Newton has also had some success in
an environment of occasional skepticism:
<a href="https://steveworks.com/2019/05/everything-you-need-to-know-about-newton-accessory-apartments/" target="_blank">
https://steveworks.com/2019/05/everything-you-need-to-know-about-newton-accessory-apartments/</a></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://anthonyflint.net/" target="_blank">Anthony Flint</a><br>
Senior Fellow<br>
<a href="https://www.lincolninst.edu/" target="_blank">Lincoln
Institute of Land Policy</a><br>
617-930-1044<br>
<a href="https://twitter.com/landpolicy" target="_blank">@landpolicy</a><br>
<i>Finding answers in land</i></p>
</div>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<div>
<div style="border-right:none;border-bottom:none;border-left:none;border-top:1pt solid rgb(225,225,225);padding:3pt 0in 0in">
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>From:</b> MassPlanners <<a href="mailto:massplanners-bounces@masscptc.org" target="_blank">massplanners-bounces@masscptc.org</a>>
<b>On Behalf Of </b>Kristina Johnson via
MassPlanners<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Wednesday, October 13, 2021 10:05 AM<br>
<b>To:</b> Paige <<a href="mailto:paigeplanner@gmail.com" target="_blank">paigeplanner@gmail.com</a>><br>
<b>Cc:</b> <a href="mailto:massplanners@masscptc.org" target="_blank">massplanners@masscptc.org</a><br>
<b>Subject:</b> Re: [Massplanners] How to convince
voters to allow accessory apartments?</p>
</div>
</div>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif">Hi
Paige,</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif">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:</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif">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.
</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif">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.
<a href="https://framinghamsource.com/index.php/2021/06/26/framingham-planning-board-takes-temperature-of-residents-on-in-law-apartment-ordinance/" target="_blank">
https://framinghamsource.com/index.php/2021/06/26/framingham-planning-board-takes-temperature-of-residents-on-in-law-apartment-ordinance/</a></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif">Good
luck Paige!</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif">Kristina
</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif">Ps.
Planning Staff in Framingham has done an amazing job
with this effort,</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family:"Lucida Calligraphy"">Kristina
Johnson, AICP</span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Garamond,serif">Director of
Planning &</span><i><span style="font-family:"Lucida Calligraphy"">
</span></i><span style="font-family:Garamond,serif">Community
Development</span><i><span style="font-family:"Lucida Calligraphy""></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Garamond,serif">Town of Hudson,
MA</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Garamond,serif">President, Mass.
Association of Planning Directors</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Garamond,serif">Tel:
978-562-2989
</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Garamond,serif">Cell:
857-939-3427</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Garamond,serif">Email: <a href="mailto:kjohnson@townofhudson.org" target="_blank">
<span style="color:windowtext">kjohnson@townofhudson.org</span></a></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Garamond,serif">“Like” Hudson
Planning and Community Development on Facebook
</span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/HudsonRecreation" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:Garamond,serif;color:windowtext;text-decoration:none"><img style="width: 0.1319in; height: 0.1319in;" id="gmail-m_846910485357591510gmail-m_-824862993408073347gmail-m_-5736487438813468299Picture_x0020_1" src="cid:17c9e6065804cff311" alt="http://blogs-images.forbes.com/peterhimler/files/2014/02/high-res-logo_facebook1.png" width="13" height="13" border="0"></span></a><span style="font-family:Garamond,serif"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Garamond,serif"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>From:</b> MassPlanners <<a href="mailto:massplanners-bounces@masscptc.org" target="_blank">massplanners-bounces@masscptc.org</a>>
<b>On Behalf Of </b>Paige via MassPlanners<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Wednesday, October 13, 2021 8:48 AM<br>
<b>To:</b> <a href="mailto:massplanners@masscptc.org" target="_blank">massplanners@masscptc.org</a><br>
<b>Subject:</b> [Massplanners] How to convince voters
to allow accessory apartments?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal">Good morning all,</p>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal">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.</p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal">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).</p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal">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? </p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal">Any case studies on how many
ADUs were created once a similar provision was
adopted in another town? </p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal">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.</p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal">Thank you.</p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal">Paige Duncan, AICP</p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal">Planning Director for the Town
of Foxborough, MA</p>
</div>
<div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
</div>
<p class="MsoNormal">-- </p>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<p><a name="m_846910485357591510_m_-824862993408073347_m_-5736487438813468299_SignatureSanitizer_SafeHtmlFilter_UNIQUE"></a> </p>
<p><span style="font-size:7.5pt;font-family:Verdana,sans-serif">*****************************</span><span style="font-size:7.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">
<br>
</span><span style="font-size:7.5pt;font-family:Verdana,sans-serif">Paige
E. Duncan, AICP, Planning Director</span><span style="font-size:7.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><br>
</span><span style="font-size:7.5pt;font-family:Verdana,sans-serif">Foxborough
Town Hall, 40 South Street</span><span>
<br>
</span><span style="font-size:7.5pt;font-family:Verdana,sans-serif">Foxborough,
Massachusetts 02035</span><span>
<br>
</span><span style="font-size:7.5pt;font-family:Verdana,sans-serif">Ph:
508-543-1250</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:7.5pt;font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;color:blue"><a href="mailto:pduncan@foxboroughma.gov" target="_blank">pduncan@foxboroughma.gov</a></span></p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
-- <br>
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</blockquote>
</div>
</div>
<br>
<fieldset></fieldset>
</blockquote>
<pre cols="72">--
Carolyn Britt, AICP
Community Investment Associates
P.O. Box 235
Ipswich, MA 01938
(978) 356-2164
(978) 317-2145 (cell)
(978) 356-9881</pre>
</div>
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</blockquote></div>
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</blockquote></div>