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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link="#467886" vlink="#96607D" style='word-wrap:break-word'><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal>I will admit to some confusion, which is why I think you are asking the assembled masses, but, there would appear to be some semantics at play. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>It would seem that your “townhouse” definition was created to address a structure with three or more dwellings, as you are allowing two-family structures (also commonly known as a duplex). When the zoning creates gray areas, the courts will generally take it at face value. You allow two-family, just because a two family looks like side by side town-houses (but just two units), the court will, generally, say that the project fits you two-family allowed use and say the structure is allowed.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Delving into rental or ownership, is another ball of wax. Dennis, long before my time there, had a court case over its definition of cottage colony. The argument was that Dennis was regulating a form of ownership (the by-law did not allow them to be divided up for individual lots due to the extreme non-conformities that would be created). The court found that communities were prohibited from regulating ownership, but that the cottage colony by-law regulated a use – a combination of a number of dwellings on a lot – as opposed to ownership – single family homes. In my time in Dennis we had one attempt to divide a cottage colony into individual lots by an 81L. The town prevailed (Building Commissioner enforced against the recorded 81L due to the creation of new non-conformities and violation of the cottage colony restrictions in the zoning). The ANR was eventually voided by the court, the colony was subsequently placed into condominium form of ownership. If not for our affordable housing by-law, the property would have remained a seasonal condo, but the property was also ultimately granted a Special Permit under the Affordable Housing By-law allowing year-round use, with two restricted as affordable.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Dan Fortier, AICP<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Retired Planner<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #E1E1E1 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>From:</span></b><span style='font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'> MassPlanners <massplanners-bounces@masscptc.org> <b>On Behalf Of </b>Fiona Coughlan via MassPlanners<br><b>Sent:</b> Monday, January 27, 2025 2:58 PM<br><b>To:</b> Thomas Bott via MassPlanners <massplanners@masscptc.org><br><b>Subject:</b> [Massplanners] Conversion Question<o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Hi All, <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><br>This may be a silly question but here it goes…<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>A Special Permit was issued for a two-family dwelling in 2021. “Duplex” is mentioned on documents but so is “two-family dwelling” (including both terms mentioned on the plans). Two-family dwelling is defined in our ZBL as “A detached building designed for and occupied exclusively as a home or residence and containing two (2) dwelling units.” We don’t define duplex in our ZBL, and we haven’t historically required proof of ownership vs. rental. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>The application materials, minutes, and most of the info on the site plan reference <u>two-family dwelling</u>; the Decision and a notation on one site plan references <u>duplex</u>. Now, that Applicant is trying to get a Building Permit for attached townhouses (not allowed in the that zone) – two townhouses attached to one another on the same lot. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>We define attached townhouses in our ZBL as: “Single Family Attached Dwelling. A small footprint attached single family residential buildings have narrow massing and may be located on individual or common lots. Each unit is separated horizontally by a common wall and groups of buildings may be separated by a common driveway or open space. Townhouses and Rowhouse are examples.”<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>I am trying to figure out if they can do any type of ownership, if they can do ownership via a permit modification, if they must do rental, or if the Town regulating to this extent without ZBL clarification is a fair housing issue (getting that feeling!). I know there is <i>An Act Enabling Cities and Towns to Regulate the Conversion of Residential Property to the Condominium Forms of Ownership,</i> but we don’t have a bylaw controlling how residential properties can be converted into condominiums or townhomes. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Any assistance would be greatly appreciated; thank you in advance for your time!<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#222222'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#222222'><img width=50 height=49 style='width:.5231in;height:.5092in' id="Picture_x0020_1" src="cid:image001.png@01DB70CF.BD1AE840"></span></b><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#222222'><o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#222222'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#222222'>Fiona Coughlan, AICP<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#222222'>Town Planner<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#222222'>Planning Department <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#222222'>Town of Grafton<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#222222'>508-839-5335 x 1402<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#222222'><a href="mailto:coughlanf@grafton-ma.gov"><span style='color:blue'>coughlanf@grafton-ma.gov</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#222222'>Website: </span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:black;mso-ligatures:standardcontextual'><a href="https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.grafton-2Dma.gov_&d=DwMFaQ&c=euGZstcaTDllvimEN8b7jXrwqOf-v5A_CdpgnVfiiMM&r=aWpJuYIYLyO12_duLKvVAVdhjVu23gb2hG6o6S56IDo&m=d2-iJNoUND6uJwWUCjWHqYjn-bN_LuLlkfDeuvDXeW4&s=RBwm97Mqrrs5dPqghEnr7uLTu34WDRSMMNVy41gftKA&e=" target="_blank"><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:blue;mso-ligatures:none'>Grafton-ma.gov</span></a></span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#222222'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#222222'>Facebook: </span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:black;mso-ligatures:standardcontextual'><a href="https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.facebook.com_TownofGraftonMA_&d=DwMFaQ&c=euGZstcaTDllvimEN8b7jXrwqOf-v5A_CdpgnVfiiMM&r=aWpJuYIYLyO12_duLKvVAVdhjVu23gb2hG6o6S56IDo&m=d2-iJNoUND6uJwWUCjWHqYjn-bN_LuLlkfDeuvDXeW4&s=S05TiM-laISVaSrGjcxwIcvpzVEPE8hPQVWVBabyLfQ&e=" target="_blank"><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:blue;mso-ligatures:none'>Town of Grafton, MA</span></a></span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#222222'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#222222'>Twitter: </span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:black;mso-ligatures:standardcontextual'><a href="https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__twitter.com_townofgraftonma-3Flang-3Den&d=DwMFaQ&c=euGZstcaTDllvimEN8b7jXrwqOf-v5A_CdpgnVfiiMM&r=aWpJuYIYLyO12_duLKvVAVdhjVu23gb2hG6o6S56IDo&m=d2-iJNoUND6uJwWUCjWHqYjn-bN_LuLlkfDeuvDXeW4&s=dBce33IK8WTN0PeScsJqdU-5qtAmPBqPT83VhxWaL0E&e=" target="_blank"><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:blue;mso-ligatures:none'>@TownofGraftonMA</span></a></span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#222222'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#222222'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:standardcontextual'>MUNICIPAL CENTER HOURS</span></b><b><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:standardcontextual'><o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:standardcontextual'>Monday, Wednesday, Thursday: 8:30 - 4:30</span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#222222;mso-ligatures:standardcontextual'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:standardcontextual'>Tuesday: 8:30 - 7:00</span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#222222;mso-ligatures:standardcontextual'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:standardcontextual'>Friday: 8:30 - 1:00<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:standardcontextual'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:standardcontextual'>*</span><b><i><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;mso-ligatures:standardcontextual'>This communication may contain privileged or other confidential information. If you are not the intended recipient, or believe you have received this communication in error, please do not print, copy, retransmit, disseminate, or otherwise use the information. When writing or responding, please remember that the Secretary of State’s Office has determined that email is a public record. Please take notice: All e-mail communications sent or received by persons using the Town of Grafton network may be subject to disclosure under the Massachusetts Public Records Law (M.G.L. 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