Over the last year our City Planning Department has been evaluating the possibility of Accessory Dwelling Units in Framingham.

What are they?

An accessory dwelling unit (ADU) is a smaller, independent residential dwelling unit located on the same lot as a stand-alone (i.e., detached) single-family home. ADUs go by many different names throughout the U.S., including accessory apartments, secondary suites, granny flats, and in-law apartments.

With limited square footage, ADUs come in many shapes and forms- they can be converted portions of existing homes (i.e., internal ADUs), additions to homes (i.e., attached ADUs), or stand-alone accessory structures or converted portions of existing stand-alone accessory structures (i.e., detached ADUs). You can learn more about them on the American Planning Association website.

At this time, ADUs are not legal in Framingham.

I very much appreciate the work of the city staff and volunteer planning board to develop and review the possibilities for zoning ADUs in Framingham, and their efforts to solicit community engagement and feedback.

I support the discussion of allowing for ADUs in Framingham and pending the specifics of the legislation, would support their allowance. We must develop a robust housing stock in Framingham that will address the variety of needs of our socio-economically and age diverse community.

Creating more opportunities and housing options is better for everyone. The questions being considered about square footage, setbacks, parking, interest, permitting allowance and compliance monitoring are the right ones.

I can think of a few seniors in D7 whose children have since moved out and might benefit from live in support structure, with independence and privacy. Or those who might move here to be close to loved ones. For those with children or family members who have disabilities such that independent living might not be a safe option- ADU’s offer flexibility and possibility for close-but-not-too-close living.

As part of this process, the city is leaving open its survey for residents: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/BDFB32M

Upon review of the initial results, as well as ordinances of other municipalities, they have created a draft ordinance for Framingham. You can see background materials, working documents, revisions, examples from other municipalities, and more! You can view the draft ordinance from 2/11/2022 here:

This is an ongoing conversation, and the Framingham Planning Board met on 2/17/2022 to review the draft ordinance and hear public feedback. You can watch that meeting on The Government Channel at any time.

You are welcome to reach out to me for further discussion, I’d love to hear your thoughts on allowing for ADUs in our community.