Weymouth Council Approves $150,000 for Beals Park, Debates In-Law Apartment Rules

WEYMOUTH — October 2, 2023 — Weymouth Town Council unanimously approved $150,000 for a Beals Park change order and opened debate on the town's first-ever in-law apartment zoning rules. The 9-0 vote on Measure 23-113 draws from the Community Preservation Fund's $360,140 unreserved balance to cover unexpected unsuitable soil found at the skate park footprint and a C Street parking lot expansion, part of a $3.4 million park overhaul targeting a May 2024 completion. On the same night, Planning Director Bob Luongo and Principal Planner Eric Schneider presented Measure 23-120, a proposed ordinance that would cap new in-law additions in R1 districts at 800 square feet, require a Zoning Board of Appeals special permit, mandate shared utility meters, and require a covenant recorded at the Norfolk County Registry of Deeds — the first formal regulation of such structures in Weymouth's history. Luongo told the council that some additions have grown so large they have attracted inquiries from daycare and sober-home developers, warning the trend is "destroying the character of our R1 districts." Mayor Robert Hedlund has directed the building department to halt new in-law building permits while the ordinance is finalized; a Planning Board public hearing is set for October 10 at 6 p.m.