Deerfield Planning Board Advances ADU Bylaw Overhaul, Targets August Public Hearing

DEERFIELD -- June 15, 2026, Deerfield Planning Board moves ADU bylaw overhaul toward an August public hearing ahead of a potential October town meeting. At the June 15 joint Planning Board and Zoning Board of Appeals meeting, outgoing Town Planner Alex presented a near-complete draft revision of the town's accessory dwelling unit section of Zoning Chapter 179, drawn almost verbatim from the state's model ADU bylaw. Under state law, ADUs up to 900 square feet are already Dover-protected and allowed as of right in single-family zones; the local draft adds a Planning Board special permit option for units up to 1,200 square feet. Town Administrator Amy confirmed the draft will go to town counsel before the July 13 Planning Board meeting, with a public hearing targeted for early August. A separate proposal to reduce minimum lot size and frontage requirements by 25 percent was set aside pending a property-tax impact analysis by the town assessor. The ZBA, which adjourned unanimously, reported it has fallen below the quorum needed to approve a special permit after members Tia and Mark Brennan both resigned.