Groton City Zoning Code
§ 218-9.4.2
Attached accessory apartment.
Use of an accessory apartment, an independent dwelling unit not to exceed 800 square feet of habitable floor area contained within a single-family house. The unit shall have a separate entrance, a kitchen/living room, a bathroom and a maximum of two bedrooms. Either unit shall be occupied by the owner. The gross floor area shall include the interior finished habitable area to be used exclusively for the accessory apartment.
No more than one accessory dwelling unit shall be allowed as of right on a lot in the RA, RB, NB, VCB, and GB Districts providing the following criteria are met:
a.
The accessory apartment shall conform to the provisions of Title V of the State Sanitary Code, 310 CMR 15.00, and applicable regulations of the Groton Board of Health.
b.
Approval from the Fire Department.
c.
Building, plumbing, electrical and any other required permits are obtained.
d.
The accessory apartment is contained within a single-family dwelling. Attached accessory apartments shall not be permitted on lots that contain two or more dwellings.
e.
All staircases required to access an accessory apartment must not change the general appearance of a single-family house.
f.
Space may be provided by either raising the roof, or extending the dwelling, but only in accordance with current height and setback requirements.
g.
To maintain the single-family character of the neighborhood, the entrance to the accessory apartment should be on the side or rear, if possible, but may be through the front door, if there is a vestibule.
h.
The owner of the property must occupy one of the two units as a permanent residence.
i.
Accessory apartments are not permitted on lots which have two or more dwellings.
j.
Sufficient and appropriate area for at least one additional parking space shall be provided by the owner to serve the accessory apartment. Said parking space shall be constructed of materials consistent with the existing driveway and, to prevent on-street parking, and shall have vehicular access to the driveway.
k.
The footprint of the structure in which the attached accessory apartment is to be located shall not be increased by more than 800 square feet and shall retain the appearance of a single-family structure. Any such increase in the footprint shall not exacerbate an existing nonconformity nor create a new nonconformity.