ADUs Divide Neighborhoods in ZBA Hearing

Above, ZBA Chair Hunchard tries to explain the ADU regs to angry abutters via Zoom.

The two hearings on the Zoning Board of Appeals agenda for Thursday both involved applications to build accessory dwelling units (ADUs) under the town’s new bylaw in two exclusive neighborhoods, and the neighbors were not happy.

At 25 Baron Road, David Fallon asked the board to let him construct an ADU over the existing attached 24’ x 24’ garage and at 72 Jefferson Road, Richard, Erika & Jason Keen asked to construct an 899 sq. ft. ADU that is attached to the existing home.

And in both instances, neighbors express fury, dismay, and worry about their investments, the value of their property, and more.

But a sympathetic chair, Bruce Hunchard, at one point interrupted the laments to school those complaining: “The Town Council in its wisdom, you know, it kind of came out of the Franklin For All committee. They started talking about ways to enhance maybe the downtown area with accessory dwelling units. And when it was brought up, some of the councilors thought that they should be allowed anywhere...All the people that you voted for this week, they were the ones that voted to put it in this way,” he explained.

Ultimately, both ADU applications were approved under the new bylaw.