Carver ZBA Clears ADU Case for Planning Board After Three Hearings

CARVER -- August 6, 2025, Carver Zoning Board ends three-meeting ADU case, directing petitioner to Planning Board. The board voted unanimously Wednesday to allow David M. Bastin of 15 Pleasant Street to withdraw Case 29-9-B1-R without prejudice, after a legal opinion from town counsel concluded the board lacked authority to reclassify a 2002 ADU special permit or grant a second one. Bastin has sought a special permit for a 1,448-square-foot attached accessory dwelling unit, nearly double the 800-square-foot as-of-right allowance, to house his in-laws. Assistant Deputy Chief Jesse Boyle of the Carver Fire Department testified that adding a third dwelling unit to an existing structure triggers fire suppression requirements costing an estimated $2 to $7 per square foot for existing construction, with an additional 30 to 40 percent market premium and a dedicated water tank because Carver lacks municipal water service. The ZBA chair cited Massachusetts General Law Chapter 40A, Section 3 as requiring Planning Board approval for any second ADU on a house lot, and offered to contact the planning director directly to communicate the board's conclusions.