(Left-to-Right) Rep. Rady Mom, Rep. Vanna Howard, Cambodian Ceramist Yari Livan and Rep. Rodney Elliott)
Much like the ADU issue caused division on the Lowell City Council, it’s exposed a divide among the city’s State House delegation.
16th Middlesex Representative Rodney Elliott and 18th Middlesex Representative Rady Mom have penned a letter in opposition to a bill co-sponsored by their Mil City colleague, 17th Middlesex Representative Vanna Howard. The letter is co-signed by City Councilors Erik Gitschier, Rita Mercier, Corey Robinson and Kim Scott, the four staunchest opponents of ADU’s on the council during the year-long debate. (The full letter is attached in its entirety below)
The correspondence was sent to Westford Representative James Arciero, who chairs the Joint Committee on Housing. It states that if enacted, House Bill 1296 “will diminish the vital role that regulatory boards play in municipalities relative to planning and zoning decisions that affect local communities and neighborhoods.” (Click here to read more about HB.1296)
At the core of their argument, Elliott, Mom and the Councilors point to the unique characteristics of each Massachusetts city and town, and argue that “suburban and rural communities may not have the perspective an urban City Councilor has regarding the challenges faced in densely populated areas as it relates to parking, urban runoff, sewer system impacts, and the desire to preserve open space. And the converse is likely true for urban based Representatives regarding rural community challenges. This is a function best handled at the local level, by elected representatives, who are directly responsible to their constituents and understand their community.”
When asked to comment on the effort, Howard released the following statement to InsideLowell:
“As you know there are a number of bills filed in the 193rd legislative session relating to ADUs. But one particular bill of interest I cosponsored is House Bill H1296 – An Act Relative to Accessory Dwelling Units, filed by Rep. Christine Barber of Somerville. This Bill is specifically for our elderly and disabled residents, better for them than apartments where there are no elevators and they may have to climb stairs or walk up. I want to make clear this Bill I cosponsored applies only to the elderly and the disabled.” (Full text of the House Bill is also available below)
HB.1296 was written prior to Governor Maura Healey’s own ADU proposal, which is part of a $4.1-billion housing bill. Ironically, the Governor’s proposal came the morning after the Lowell City Council KO’d the local effort. Healey’s bill not only creates ADU’s by right, but also bans local efforts to prohibit, unreasonably restrict, or require a special permit or other discretionary zoning approval in a single-family residential zoning district.
The definition of what’s reasonable and unreasonable should be an interesting state-wide debate, given the discussion that took place in Lowell over the last year and a half.
