Pepperell Planning Board Debates Detached ADUs, Sets April 16 for Revised Draft Review

PEPPERELL — March 25, 2024 — Pepperell Planning Board spends two hours debating whether detached accessory dwelling units should require ZBA review under a proposed bylaw overhaul. Chair Al Patton outlined a three-tier approval framework — building department for interior and attached units, Planning Board for additions, and ZBA for detached structures — while Building Commissioner Bentley Bargett, participating remotely, argued ADU approvals should run through the building department alone, saying detached conversions are "almost impossible" to bring up to full code given change-of-use requirements. Working group member Ted Provence said the group had been reluctant to support detached ADUs but kept the option in the draft "for the planning board to have the opportunity to consider it." A community survey showed 14 residents said ADUs must be attached, nine said detached is acceptable within an existing accessory structure, and five said neither. The board noted it has issued roughly 46 accessory apartment permits over 20 years — about two and a half per year — and agreed to continue the discussion April 1 as a placeholder, with a full review of Provence's revised draft scheduled for April 16.