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Home My WebLink About1983-02-10 Planning Board MinutesMinutes of the Meeting of Februarv 10, 1983. Chairman Mitchel called the meeting to order in Room 19, 52 Sanborn Street (the Community Center) with Board members A. Burne, M. Rich, .-,,K. Messina and J. Shaw present. Correspondence Mail was reviewed. The Board is in receipt ofa letter from the Conservation Commission re: Accessory Apartments. This will be discussed under that agenda item. Board unanimously approved bills payable in the amount of $176.42. for postage and office supplies. The Board-voted to. forward to Mass. Federation of Planning Boards the amount of $60 to cover the cost of the Annual Dinner for. the Board members: and staff. Accessory Apartments The. Board reviewed the final draft for submission to.the Annual Town Meeting Warrant. After-some discussion, the following was unanimously voted to be sub*itted as.the 5 articles per- tainipg to accessory apartments. Town Counsel will have to review the final changes and Mr. Mitchel will make. final approval. To' see •if the Town will vote to amend 'the Town's Zoning By-laws by adding the following paragraph as Section 2.2.1.1..: ACCESSORY APARTMENT: A self-contained housing unit consisting of one or more- rooms with separate kitchen and bathroom facilities incgrporated.within.an existing building ..that was originally designed as ,a one family dwelling.. or take any other action with respect thereto. READING PLANNING::BOARD. ARTICLE To see if the Town will vote to amend the - Town's Zoning'By.-laws by renumbering the present Section-2:.2.12.. as 2.2.12.1.-and inserting,the following definition as Section 2.2.12.2.: 2.2.12.2• FLOOR AREA,.NET:. The gross floor area diminished.by all those-areas not custom- arily used' for permanent habitation, such as. hallways.;-.stairways, interior chimney flues, dust spaces, exterior.-and interior walls. and the like. or -take any other action with respect thereto. READING PLANNING BOARD 2/10/83-Minutes Page 2 ARTICLE To see if the Town will vote to amend the Town's Zoning By-laws by inserting a new paragraph as.-Section x.3.2.8. to read as follows: 4.3.2.8• 'PURPOSE: The Purpose of allowing accessory apartments z within the Town is to encourage the alteration and/or construction of a'-limited number of housing-units which will increase the avail- ability of-rental units within the Town and will help to,meet -local. housing needs without causing significantly adverse effects on the character wand :municipal services ;of the commun- ity and to :ensure ,;compliance :with State and .local planning standards And policies- concerned with land -,use, building design. and -requirements of the:.health, safety, coiivenience and general welfare of. the inhabitants of- the Town. RESTRICTLONS: The Special. Permit Grant3ng..Authority may grant a. Special Permit for. An accessory ap4rtmerjt, if, as a minimum, the following conditions are met -a) The dwelling.in which the accessary apart- Rent is to -be. -located was.legally occupied prior to August 1, 1982; b) The.-accessory apartment shall occupy no more. :than one-third (1/3)- of the grass floor area of the one farriily dwelling of. ;which it is part, exclusive of • any garage;--'unfinished basement, shed or.other accessory use struc- ture attached to o'- part 'of such one. family xwelling (as of August 1, 1982) and shall contain as a minimum-at.*least four hundred (400) net square.'feet -of living space and. as a maximum no morehan seven hundred fifty (750) net..square feet of -living space; c) At leash one of the owners of the one family dwelling in which the accessory apartment is located resides'in.the accessory apartment or principal one family dwelling, except for bona fide temporary absences as approved by the 'Board of Appeals; d) The accessory.-apartment and any and all other modifications to the principal one family dwelling shall be designed so that the appearance of the building remains that of a one family dwelling. Any new entries shall be located on the side or in the rear of the P r'' Sect_I.c,n 2.8. 2/10/83 - Minutes Page 3 N building and any additions for-access and/or egress shall- not -increase the gross- floor area(as described in paragraph b -above) -of the original..-house by more than , ten ,,per -:cent (10%) ''and shall not---increase the building -'to land to more than a ratio of 1-: 5. Any other :changes :.in, the building shall comply -in all're.spects with' the .-applicable. provisions of the.. -Zoning :By--laws; e) All motor vehicles owned or. maintained by occupants of the. building .in which -the - ;_accessory -apartment. Is located shall be . :parked off the street- and the location and. -appearance of all additional off-street parking shall not adversely affect the adjoining -properties:,properties in-the neighborhood or the ingle-family appearance of the neighborhood in general and.will cause no change- to the front yard parking area,. if any, as it- existed,' on August 1, 1982; f) There shall be ..no other apartment on the lot . on which the accessory apartment is.tobe located; ;g) The accessory apartment shall meet all building. code requirements and shall have properly.. installed and maintained fire safety devices for the Protection of all.occupants 'in the . entire .dwelling; h) Special Permits for accessory apartments can be'-issued by the -Board of_.Appeals up to a limit of ten per •cen .(1.0~} . of all eligible one family dwellings- in. the , Town; i) Any other conditions,-safeguards-.and limita- tions on time or use as may be imposed by the Board of Appeals according to Massachu- setts General Laws, Chapter 4_0A, Section 9 or. regulations adopted --pursuant thereto. P; a. J- . Gl V 4-3. 2/10/83.- Page 4 Minutes PROCESS: An owner or owners of a one family dwelling may make application to the Board-of Appeals .for a Special Permit for the alteration and/or construction and occupancy of an accessory apartment in a one family dwelling in compliane'e.with all of the above-listed restrictions. The Board of Appeals will then, post notice of this public hearing.in•accordance with Chapter 40A, Massachusetts General Laws. The :Special Permit for said :a.ccess.ory apartment -will be limited to-the-original.applicant.(s) but shall be transferred with ownership upon the .successful..inspection bf.the.p.roperty and upon :recertification that the new owner(s) of the dwelling plan (s) to maintain residence '3n either the accessory apartment or the,princi-, pal residence-. "If- the terms ;and/or 'conditions. of the Special Permit for an.accessory apartment are not being complied with,'.such Special Permit can and .will be .revoked in •ac.cordance--vtth standard enforcement procedures, or if all conditions are not met within. one: year of issuance of the Special Permit, the Special Permit will be null and void. or. 'fake any other action with respect thereto. -READING PLANNING BOARD 2/10/83 - Minutes Page 5 ARTICLE To ` see 3.f the :Town -will vote 'to amend the 'Town's Zoning By-laws by adding the following phrase at the end.of the sentence in Section _ "except as--otherwise provided herein."., -so that the..section .will read iri :.its entirety: 4.3..2.6. "3n any Residence-District,_no more than --twenty-five per cent (25%)-of the floor area of a dwelling shall be-used for an ; accessory use, except as otherwise provided herein. or take-.any other action with respect thereto. `READING PLANNING BOARD y. ARTICLE To see-if the Town will vote.-to amend the : Town"'.s:Zoning By-laws by inserting in Section 4.2..2..,' Table of Uses, -the :following as the first line under ACCESSORY 'USES.: RESIDENCE S-10 A-40 A-0 BUS '.BUS "BUS Ir 5-20 A B .C - B_40 Accessory Apartment SPA _.Y-esv' No . -Yes No No 1 or.take any.other action-with respect thereto. READING PLANNING BOARD. Page 6 - Minutes 2/10/83 . Home Business The Board again discussed the proposed zoning by-law articles for Home Business. The Board was greatly concerned with the broad language and the fact that such.an article could be discriminatory against other inesses e.g., tailors, furniture refinishers, metal workers, etc. .The Board is awaiting the final articles presented to the Town Meeting Warrant. The Secretary will forward them to the Board members for their review upon receipt. Citizen Participation Ms. Hewitt spoke in support of the accessory apartment by-law proposals and will be seeking formal approval and endorsement from the League. Meeting Schedule The next meeting of the Planning Board will be on Wednesday, February 16, 1983.- Tentative schedule of public hearings will be mid-March. There being no further business before the Board, it was unani- mously voted to adjourn at 10:30 P.M. Respectfully submitted, Kenneth G. Messina, Clerk ~f