Rochester residents to vote on bylaw changes at Town Meeting

ROCHESTER — Residents will be asked to approve bylaws regarding short-term rentals and accessory dwelling units at Rochester’s Jan. 27, 2025 Special Town Meeting.

Other votes will include potentially making the town clerk an appointed position and approving funds for police cell renovations and a sander truck.

Regarding short-term rentals, on Monday, Nov. 4, Town Administrator Cameron Durant said that although there is only one Rochester short-term rental listed on popular sites like AirBnB, the bylaw review committee is trying to get ahead of a possible issue.

The agenda item reads that the purpose of the proposed bylaw is to “provide for the administration and enforcement of Rochester’s short-term rentals.”

If approved, short-term rentals would need to be registered with the town.

The bylaw also reads that it would aim to mitigate impacts on neighborhood character and housing prices.

Residents will also be asked to vote on adding a section in the town’s bylaws regarding accessory dwelling units.

An accessory dwelling unit is a secondary residential space located on the lot of a single-family house.

Governor Maura Healey signed the Affordable Homes Act in August, which allows for ADUs of up to 900 square feet to be constructed by right in single-family zoning districts.

The proposed bylaw recognizes ADUs and states their characteristics and regulations.

“[ADUs] are now by right through the state but the town does have the ability to create a bylaw and language around the topic to get ahead of things to see how it can be adjusted to meet the character of the town,” said Durant.

A member of the bylaw review committee in the audience said “what we wrote up is considerably more restrictive than what the state is requiring.”

Apart from bylaw changes, residents will be asked to approve the use of funds for multiple town projects.

Renovations to the police department cell area calls for $120,000 in available funds.

“It needs to be done,” Select Board Chair Brad Morse said Monday, Dec. 16.

The town will be asked to approve an additional $175,000 for materials to renovate the police department’s attic to create additional office and meeting space.

The highway department is seeking up to $100,000 in available funds to purchase a sander truck used for winter roads. The department’s current sander is not working properly, according to Durant.

Special Town Meeting voters will also be asked if the position of town clerk should change from an elected position to a position appointed by the Select Board.

It’s a question that’s been raised publicly in Rochester multiple times before, as recently as May 2024.

Rochester’s Special Town Meeting will be held at Rochester Memorial School on Monday, Jan. 27, 2025.