[Speaker 2] (0:00 - 1:07)
All right, so the first article we'll be discussing this morning is Article 17, which deals with accessory dwelling units. I'll read the language that appears in the warrant, Article 17, a proposal to amend the zoning bylaw to allow for accessory dwelling units. It reads, to see if the town will vote to amend the Swampscot zoning bylaws, Section 5.11.00 Accessory Apartments by inserting the language shown in red and deleting the language shown in red strikethrough as set forth in Appendix D. So the zoning bylaws currently permit interior accessory apartments. We will be changing the definition of accessory apartment to accessory dwelling unit. And Mike is going to help me discuss exactly what accessory dwelling units are and why we're proposing this bylaw.

So Mike, why don't you give us just an overview of what is an accessory dwelling unit or an ADU?

[Speaker 1] (1:08 - 1:58)
Well, as you said, accessory apartments were already allowed in town. An ADU, an accessory dwelling unit, is a dwelling unit that's a subsidiary to the principal dwelling unit on a property, hence the accessory part. The way the bylaw contemplates it is that the accessory dwelling unit is secondary in every way.

It shares utilities. Its entrances are subsidiary to the main entrances of the dwelling. It's a smaller dwelling in size.

It can only be 900 square feet or less in size. And so the ADU really is an opportunity for folks in town to create a more flexible type of housing that may not exist just with single family zoning that exists now.

[Speaker 2] (1:59 - 2:07)
So how would someone include an accessory dwelling unit on their property? Can they add it to their house or how does that work?

[Speaker 1] (2:08 - 2:27)
So the way that this bylaw contemplates it is you can apply to create an accessory dwelling unit either as an addition to your house, which would be attached, or a pre-existing detached structure at the time this bylaw is created if it's voted by town meeting on May 15th.

[Speaker 2] (2:27 - 2:42)
So in other words, if I had a garage next to my house that was detached or a carriage house, as may be the case with some of the houses in town, I could convert that existing garage. Is that correct?

[Speaker 1] (2:42 - 3:00)
That is essentially correct. Right. You would be able to convert that garage to an ADU or your carriage house potentially if you lived in the historic district.

Or like I said, you could build an addition onto your house as long as it met the other guidelines within the zoning bylaw.

[Speaker 2] (3:01 - 3:05)
What about utilities? Do they share one utility bill, one tax bill?

[Speaker 1] (3:05 - 3:14)
They do share one utility bill, yes, for electric, gas, sewer, trash. There's no additional trash barrels that we're contemplating as part of this, for example.

[Speaker 2] (3:14 - 3:20)
And what about owner-occupied? Does the owner have to live in one of the units?

[Speaker 1] (3:20 - 3:30)
Yes, yes. We talked about this and that's exactly how it would work. Owner occupancy for either the ADU or the principal dwelling unit.

[Speaker 2] (3:30 - 3:35)
So I understand that this use is by right. What does that mean in terms of permitting?

[Speaker 1] (3:36 - 4:12)
Right. So initially the accessory apartments were not by right. Now these new ADUs will be by right, but that's just the use.

So the structures still have to be reviewed by the building commissioner as part of any building permit process. And if you're building something new, if you're building a new attached structure to your house, you know, that has to go get reviewed by the building commissioner. And so oftentimes, as you see in town, there's certain deficiencies that you're not meeting for the zoning code.

And so you'll have to go before either the planning board or the zoning board of appeals for that as well.

[Speaker 2] (4:13 - 4:41)
Great. So it sounds like the purpose of this bylaw would really give people an opportunity to create an additional unit for either a child who's moving home and needs a place to live, for an elderly parent that can no longer stay in their own home, or to rent out as a hopefully more affordable unit to an individual or a small family.

[Speaker 1] (4:41 - 5:18)
We like to call it little a affordable, right? It's not affordable in this strict sense of, you know, section eight vouchers or something, right? But it allows for housing choice and flexibility so that you may age in place potentially, right?

There are some folks, you know, a large contingent of folks in town that would like to remain in their current homes. And this may allow them to move into the smaller accessory building unit on their site. That may be a slightly more accessible means of living for them.

And it may also be able to provide them with some income to rent this thing out.

[Speaker 2] (5:19 - 5:20)
What about parking?

[Speaker 1] (5:21 - 5:28)
Well, we did contemplate parking as part of this bylaw, and there is one space that will be required per ADU that is created.

[Speaker 2] (5:29 - 5:46)
Sounds good. Well, I hope that if there are any other questions, you will feel free to forward any inquiries to the Community Development Department directly. We look forward to seeing you at town meeting to answer any other questions you may have on ADUs.

Thank you.

[Speaker 1] (5:46 - 5:46)
Thank you.