Select Board declines to place ADU and home‑occupation zoning articles on fall warrant after extensive review

The Select Board reviewed two major zoning proposals: an Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) amendment to align local rules with the state ADU law, and a comprehensive rewrite of the home‑occupation provisions to allow outdoor work by shellfish harvesters and tradespeople while distinguishing small aquaculture operations from larger marine processing facilities.

Planning Board chair Jerry and Town Planner Beth Piles described the aims: reconcile state ADU requirements while preserving a local 1,200‑sq‑ft option and protect small‑scale aquaculture and home trades. Council sent late edits the day of the meeting, and Select Board members and the public raised procedural and substantive concerns: the timing of changes, inconsistent drafts, open‑ended definitions (including “lessee of the resident”), and an absence of clear scale or enforcement limits for aquaculture processing. Multiple members suggested further refinement—especially to limit unintended commercial expansion in residential zones and to clarify who qualifies to run a home occupation.

After discussion the board did not vote to place either article on the fall warrant; Select Board members asked the Planning Board and counsel to refine language and return with a cleaner, vetted version for the spring town meeting so the public and staff have time to review and the warrant can be finalized on a stable draft.