Weymouth Council Holds ADU Hearings Ahead of Feb. 2 State Mandate Deadline

WEYMOUTH — January 21, 2025 — Weymouth Town Council held four public hearings Tuesday night, with a new accessory dwelling unit ordinance dominating a more than hour-long session as the state's February 2 ADU mandate deadline approaches. Planning Director Bob Luongo and Principal Planner Eric Schneider walked the council through a draft zoning amendment that would cap detached ADUs at 900 square feet on conforming lots and 750 square feet on smaller lots, require a public abutter-notification hearing before any ADU permit is issued, and ban short-term rentals of both primary and accessory units — while acknowledging the town cannot legally deny any by-right ADU application. Town Solicitor Rick McLeod told the council the Massachusetts Municipal Lawyers Association has already sent a formal letter to the governor challenging the law. The council also voted unanimously to transfer $83,059 from the historic preservation reserve fund — which carried a balance of $445,238.16 — for restoration of two iron gates at North Weymouth Cemetery, erected between 1913 and 1916, after the Budget Management Committee recommended favorable action earlier the same evening.