Town updates accessory staff housing draft: size reduced, parking left to planning board, tenant protections added

The Town Board reviewed revisions to the accessory staff housing draft at the April 7 work session. Planning and legal staff returned with edits based on prior board comments to clarify standards, limit potential overreach, and incorporate established state property‑maintenance references.

Ed Reale summarized the changes: the previous 2,000 square‑foot maximum for single‑family units has been trimmed to 1,800 square feet; standards for rooming houses (one bathroom per six residents; minimum single‑room size 75 sq ft; 100 sq ft for double rooms) were retained but explicitly tied to the state property maintenance code and the uniform building and fire code; the parking requirement was revised so applicants must demonstrate adequate parking for the combined business and housing use, and the planning board may waive or vary parking requirements based on individual site plan review.

Reale also described tenant protections: if the business use is abandoned, existing tenants may remain until the termination of current leases but not beyond a one‑year limit. The special permit was amended to allow lessees (not only property owners) to apply if they have a written lease and the landlord’s permission.

Board members praised the revisions as more defensible and legally grounded. Several members noted that health‑department and septic constraints remain critical limiters for on‑site housing and that the planning and health departments will weigh those technical constraints during the site‑plan and special‑permit review process. The board did not adopt the local law at the session; next steps include planning‑board review and public hearing scheduling.