BEVERLY — The City Council has voted in favor of a new ordinance that will allow accessory dwelling units in Beverly.
Councilors voted 9-0 on Monday to approve the proposal after months of discussion and public comment. The new ordinance requires a second vote to become official, which the council plans to take at its next meeting.
The plan will allow ADUs, as they are known, to be created either attached to a single-family home or in a separate building on the same lot, and would permit non-family members to live in them.
The current city ordinance only allows temporary “accessory apartments” that are attached to or inside single-family homes for family members only. Under the new ordinance, homeowners could potentially build a separate building on their property and rent it to unrelated tenants.
Several residents spoke in favor of ADUs at a September public hearing at City Hall, and an online survey showed overwhelming support, according to city officials.
Under the new ordinance homeowners could create ADUs that are detached from their home, attached to their home, on a different level of their home, above a garage or in a converted garage. The units must be less than 1,000 square feet or half the main building’s floor area, whichever is less. A detached ADU must be less than 35-feet tall and be “clearly secondary” and behind the main house.
On Monday, Beverly resident Arthur Thompson told city councilors the North Shore Association of Realtors, of which he is a member, supports the new ordinance.
“No one would disagree that Beverly needs more housing,” he said. “Here is an opportunity to not only add more places for folks to live, but also give homeowners options.”
ADU’s could help older residents who want to stay in their homes by giving them extra income to afford to do so. They could also provide housing for young families or adult children of homeowners, Thompson said.
Paul Drake said it was “exciting” to see the city take a step to address the housing crisis.
“I’ve been trying to rent here in Beverly for a decade now and it’s getting harder and harder,” he said. “What you’re doing tonight is creating small avenues of hope that hopefully grow over time.”
Staff Writer Paul Leighton can be reached at 978-338-2535, by email at pleighton@salemnews.com, or on Twitter at @heardinbeverly.
Staff Writer Paul Leighton can be reached at 978-338-2535, by email at pleighton@salemnews.com, or on Twitter at @heardinbeverly.
