MARBLEHEAD — The town’s Housing Committee is looking to make it easier for residents to create accessory dwelling units (ADUs), with members discussing new outreach efforts, clearer application materials and better coordination among town boards during Tuesday’s meeting.
Community Development and Planning Director Brendan Callahan said the town is still learning its way through the relatively new ADU approval process, particularly as applications become more common.
“I’m trying to get a handle on how many ADUs we actually have in the town,” Callahan said, explaining that he is working with the building commissioner to determine how many certificates have been issued and how many applications have been submitted since Marblehead adopted its ADU bylaw roughly two and a half years ago.
Callahan said that since he began working with the Planning Board about seven months ago, the town has averaged roughly one ADU application per meeting, with about three approvals during that period.
He noted that applications for units built within an existing home’s footprint are generally straightforward, while proposals involving additions that require Zoning Board of Appeals approval have proven more complicated.
“The Planning Board really can’t deny the ADU,” Callahan said. “From what I understand, there’s just no precedent for that.
“We’re all learning right now,” he added.
According to Callahan, one challenge has been helping applicants understand the order in which they need approvals from the Zoning Board of Appeals and the Planning Board. The town is updating its application materials to better explain that process.
Committee members also discussed improving public education surrounding ADUs.
Callahan said the town could enhance the ADU section of its website, create informational flyers for residents, and make educational materials available through the Community Development office and other municipal buildings.
The discussion also touched on recent changes approved at Town Meeting that would reduce the maximum allowable size of an ADU from 1,000 square feet to 900 square feet. Callahan said the amendment is awaiting approval from the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office, which reviews local zoning changes before they take effect. He said the office has up to 60 days to respond.
Committee member Nisha Austin suggested collecting more data about the program, including the number of applications submitted, approvals granted, continuances, and conditions placed on permits, to better evaluate whether the process is functioning as intended.
Austin also asked whether approved ADUs could later be converted into short-term rentals.
Callahan said the town’s bylaw expressly prohibits that.
“Short-term rentals, as defined, are prohibited in both the accessory and the principal dwelling unit,” he said.
Members debated whether to create a formal ADU working group but ultimately leaned toward improving communication among the Planning Board, Zoning Board of Appeals, Community Development Department, and Building Commissioner’s Office instead.
“I think it’s just a matter of getting people in the same room, making sure that there’s alignment around the application process,” Austin said.
Callahan agreed to continue meeting with the various boards and provide updates to the committee as the process evolves.
Committee member Kurt James said improving coordination could help the town encourage more ADUs while ensuring everyone involved understands the approval process.
“It makes sense, given how relatively new this is, to make sure we’re all moving in the same direction,” James said.
The committee also revisited a community education and advocacy initiative tied to Marblehead’s Housing Production Plan.
Austin said she and Callahan plan to meet over the coming weeks to develop a public outreach strategy, with the goal of launching the initiative later this fall.
