How to Make Life Easier adn Affordable Without Leaving Home
Affordable housing is on everyone’s mind. Towns north and south of us—all over the country, in
fact—are grappling with the absence of housing priced within reach of most people. Electricity
and fuel costs are skyrocketing, too, and some folks wonder if they will be able to stay in their
homes…. But where to go?
In the local paper we have watched Great Barrington and North Adams hammer out regulations
for Short Term Rentals (STRs) and Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) to aid residents who want to
earn money from their homes, which helps them, if they wish, to stay put. Efforts have sometimes
been contentious, but solutions have been found.
Here the Town Plan Steering Group and the Planning Board have been working for the past year
or more on guidelines to help our residents who wish to take advantage of the income—and even
the peace of mind—that Short Term Rentals and Accessory Dwelling Units can provide. The effort
will result in a public hearing this month to discuss the two sets of bylaws. You can study the
proposed bylaws in their entirety, and air your views or ask questions at the Public Hearing March 14th.
Maintaining Town Character
The paramount goal in both sets of bylaws is to maintain the single-family character of our town.
Parking, for instance, must be provided in the driveway or garage or designated area on the
property. Any new structure, as in the ADU bylaw, must be designed so that the appearance of
the addition remains consistent with the residential character of the neighborhood. And a
detached ADU may not be located between the front of the main dwelling and the street—just to
name a few of the guardrails the bylaws stipulate.
The stated purpose of the STR regulations is to formalize how homeowners, or renters, can
promote and support the town—more residents are always welcome—while allowing those
residents to earn extra money from their properties, to maintain their property and also to
contribute to the community through room taxes. (The state collects the room taxes and part of
that comes back to the town.) Up to two bedrooms in a home may be rented year-round, by right,
provided that the owner or tenant is occupying the dwelling unit at the time of the rental. An
entire home or dwelling unit may be rented up to 150 days per calendar year, by right, and up to
175 days, by special permit.
The Accessory Dwelling Unit bylaw’s primary purpose is to create more housing options for town
residents. The ADU provides homeowners with the ability to create a separate space for family, or
simply for renters who might provide companionship or security. Or the ADU might be a space
for service providers.
There are three types of ADUs—a detached structure, an addition to the main residence, or an
apartment within the main residence. A detached ADU in Washington must be clearly subordinate in size to the main structure and cannot exceed half of the square footage of the original structure, or 900 square feet, whichever is smaller.
An addition to, or a remodel of an original dwelling must also be clearly subordinate to the
original dwelling and not more than one-third of the floor area of the original structure, or 900
square feet, whichever is smaller.
Should you be considering an ADU, you will need to meet with the Building Inspector to confirm
the need for a building permit and any Board of Health or Conservation Commission approvals.
How an ADU Worked for Us
For some, the thought of sharing one’s home might be a daunting prospect. But how nice to create
a separate apartment where a relative can live, or where someone can move in and begin paying
rent…offsetting bills and taxes. My husband and I were in just such a position. We had a small
four-story house in New York State where we worked. Our family had grown and moved on. But
we were reluctant to sell. We loved our house and our neighbors. And our street. Why not divide
the house as other neighbors had done before us? So, we reconfigured the space.
We’d created a living space at the top of the house and downsized our own quarters to the lower
floors. It was small and cozy. The two of us felt happy there. The young couple who rented our
apartment had two daughters. We enjoyed the sounds of the children tromping into the front hall
through their separate entrance after school. They’d often be squabbling or singing. I’d hear them
on the stairs, their voices trailing off and it would be quiet again.
Now we are here and the possibilities these new bylaws open up for us and our neighbors feel
realistic and smart.
Housing Seniors Like
Recently, the New York Times (January 31, 2023) ran an article with the title “Senior Housing that
Seniors Actually Like,” citing families in Oakland, California, and Portland, Oregon, who had
created an ADU on their properties. In the ADU in Oakland, the parents live in the main house and
the adult children live in the 400 square foot renovated garage with kitchen and bath. In Portland,
the grandmother lives in the 750 square foot ADU, also in a renovated garage, and her daughter
and her family life in the four-bedroom main house.These are just two examples of a nationwide
phenomenon. AARP, according to the Times, supports ADUs and has helped 17 cities pass ADU
regulations, from Denver and Louisville to Raleigh and Kansas City. And the numbers, they say,
are growing.
As affordable housing becomes increasingly scarce for young and old, the ADU offers many
advantages which can keep a community vibrant without altering its character or charm.
These options—ways to use our homes without leaving them—are set forth now, with community
approval, in the Washington’s proposed regulations.
…East or West, Home is Best… Read up, attend the hearing, voice your opinion, and vote!