Woodstock’s Planning & Zoning Commission approved at its December 2nd, 2021, meeting a proposal I authored to improve the meaningful use of accessory apartments that can be built as part of or on the same lot as a single family house. More and more people are looking into accessory apartments as a way to have elder parents or adult children live on premises without having to go through the added expense and challenge of buying or building a new house.
Before the new change was approved, Woodstock’s Zoning Regulations allowed for an accessory apartment no larger than 750 square feet.
The new regulations will allow an accessory apartment up to either 1,000 square feet or 50% of the floor area of the principal, single family residence, whichever is less.
Here is an analysis that I did based upon information provided by the Town Assessor’s office.
SF Range Median SF # of Units % of Total Units
600 – 1,000 864 275 8.89
1,001 – 1,500 1,272.5 846 27.33
1,501 – 2,000 1,728 798 25.78
2,001 – 2,500 2,222 547 17.67
2,501 – 3,000 2,725.5 325 10.50
3,001 – 3,500 3,191.5 153 4.94
3,501 – 4,000 3,715 76 2.46
4,001 – 4,500 4,266 29 0.94
4,501 – 5,000 4,702 30 0.97
5,001 – 5,500 5,080 7 0.23
5,501 – 6,000 5,732.5 3 0.10
6,001 – 7,000 6,731 3 0.10
7,001 – 9,176 8,621 3 0.09
The majority of single-family residences (62%) are listed as 600 – 2,000 SF (median is 1,415.5 SF).
36.2% are listed as being 600 – 1,500 SF (median is 1,169 SF).
28.2% are listed as being 2,001 – 3,000 SF (median is 2,368 SF).
79.7% are listed as being 600 – 2,500 SF (median is 1,572SF).
90.2% are listed as being 600 – 3,000 SF (median is 1,664SF).
Increasing the % of the net floor area of the principal dwelling above the minimum set by the new state law enacted in 2021 would mean that no accessory apartment would be larger than 1,000 SF, but it would better allow homeowners to maximize the SF area of an accessory apartment than if using the 33% criteria in the new state law.
One does not want an accessory apartment to be large enough that it becomes a de facto second primary residence on the same lot (i.e., not too large in size compared with the primary residence).
Here are calculations based upon the Assessor’s data above.
For the 36% of residences in town that are 600 – 1,500 SF:
33% of primary residence SF = 198 – 495 SF
50% of primary residence SF = 300 – 750 SF
60% of primary residence SF = 360 – 900 SF
For the 26% of residences in town that are 1,501 – 2,000 SF:
33% of primary residence SF = 495 – 660 SF
50% of primary residence SF = 750 – 1,000 SF
60% of primary residence SF = 900 – 1,200 SF (would be capped at 1,000 SF however)
For the 38% of residence in town that are 2,001 – 9,176 SF:
33% of primary residence SF = 660 – 3,028 SF (would be caped at 1,000 SF however)
50% of primary residence SF = 1,000 – 4,588 SF (would be caped at 1,000 SF however)
60% of primary residence SF = 1,200 – 5,506 SF (would be capped at 1,000 SF however)
Keeping the 1,000 SF total provision, but also using a 50% of the primary residence SF provision, whichever is less, then all of the homeowners whose primary residence is up to 2,000 SF (62% of all homeowners in town) could possibly benefit by being able to build larger accessory apartments compared with 33% of the primary residence SF provision.
In sum, by increasing the % of the net floor area of the primary residence provision, yet keeping also the 1,000 SF provision as per the new state law, homeowners whose residences are toward the small range can benefit better while preserving (i.e., no net harm) the benefit of those whose residences are larger.
This analysis does not take into account restrictions that could apply to a single-family residential lot due to set backs, public health rules, and building codes, which could impose limitations on the size of an accessory apartment.