While the Town suffers from a public water supply shortage its Zoning Board of Appeals is busy promoting increased population density across Sterling by means of Town Meeting Warrant Article 38, “ACCESSORY DWELLING UNIT USE,” that would replace the existing Sterling Protective (Zoning) By-Law provisions for “Accessory Apartment Use[s],” including the requirement that such an accessory apartment be within an existing single family dwelling or in the space above its attached garage, a “Special Permit” from the Z.B.A. now being required in ALL such cases.
Article 38, “ACCESSORY DWELLING UNIT USE,” if adopted, would only require a Special Permit for an accessory dwelling unit as part of of newly built or existing detached structure. In essence, the Z.B.A. is now encouraging the construction of such detached structures on single family lots having more than 20,000 square feet. All of that will promote a hodge-podge of building eyesores and increased population densities on streets across Town, with increased motor vehicle density, traffic, and parking problems as a consequence. The Z.B.A., speciously, says that “ADUs also add tax revenue to the community based on the increase in square footage of living space.” THAT’S A CROCK. Any marginal increase in Town tax revenue from proliferating Accessory Dwelling Units will be eaten up by the increased need for Police, Fire, Ambulance, and other Town services required to accommodate the proliferating Accessory Dwelling Unit population.
It should be noted that this Article 38 was tucked into the bogus and abusive so-called “SECOND CONSENT AGENDA” beginning on page 13 of the Warrant– https://www.sterling-ma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif1266/f/uploads/2021_atm_final_warrant_june_7_2021_003.pdf — a trick only reprobates can love.
VOTE DOWN ARTICLE 38 AND, INDEED, ALL OF THE ARTICLES–28 THROUGH 41–SET FORTH IN THAT BOGUS AND ABUSIVE SO-CALLED “SECOND CONSENT AGENDA.”
STERLING, MASSACHUSETTS, OVERWATCH 