New Regulations Coming for Accessory Dwelling Units in Burlington
The future of accessory dwelling units in Burlington was one of many housing-related topics discussed at the Planning Board meeting of October 3, 2024.
The Planning Board is hoping to update Burlington's current zoning bylaws in advance of February, when the state law allowing accessory dwelling units is set to go into effect. While certain aspects can't be regulated locally, such as owner occupancy or size, existing bylaws can be adapted to complement the state law.
Planning Director Liz Bonventre highlighted key points for consideration, including whether ADUs should be attached to the main dwelling and how to handle utility metering. The general impression by the Board seems to be that residents would prefer the ADUs be attached, to preserve the single-family feel of the property rather than looking like two dwellings on a single lot—though Member Barbara L'Heureux warned that the input she's received is not from a representative sample of Burlington residents.
The Building Department has weighed in, saying they recommend that the ADU not have separate utility metering from the main dwelling, and that there needs to be a firewall between units.
Bonventre plans to gather input from various stakeholders around town, and an ADU subcommittee will tackle drafting the updated regulations so they can be put forward at January's Town Meeting
The Planning Board plans to continue these discussions at their October 17 meeting, aiming to strike a balance between state mandates and local preferences for ADU regulations.
Along with accessory dwelling units in Burlington, the Board discussed a Town Center Multifamily Housing zoning overlay and the Mall Road area rezoning, the plan for which has been split into multiple phases; look out for separate articles about each of these as the issues develop.
