Salem Accessory Dwelling Unit Ordinance Vote Tabled
May 29th at 9:31pm.
Last night, the Salem by-right ADU Ordinance was before the City Council for a vote of first passage. The ordinance recieved a considerable amount of public comment from Salem residents on both sides of the issue. The ordinance also featured a substainal change from the language previously presented during the Public Hearing and what was reviewed by the Planning Board.
Only hours before the meeting the ordinance received an edit to add a mandatory cap on the amount of rent a property owner could charge for an ADU unit. This cap would be set at 75% of the HUD Fair Market Rent (used in calculations for voucher programs). In exchange, the property owner would get a partial property tax exemption. The property tax exemption had previously been offered only if the property owner opted to have the ADU be an Affordable Housing unit. You can read the new language here.
Ultimately, the ordinance was tabled, moving the vote for first passage to the next City Council meeting.
