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Tools
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Resources
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| Accessory Dwelling Units Zoning: An accessory dwelling unit (or ADU) is a small, self-contained residential unit located on the same tax lot as a single-family home. ADUs take one of three forms: wholly contained within the single family structure, attached to the single family structure, or detached from the single family structure. The ADU is subordinate in size to the primary residential structure. ADUs provide an innovative way to provide housing for low and moderate income residents and homeowners. Home owners benefit from additional income to help defray mortgage costs, and renters benefit from the availability of low or moderate priced rental units. Generally, provisions for ADUs are included in zoning bylaws.
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Massachusetts info. on ADUs
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Adaptive Reuse: Adaptive Reuse preserves older buildings that have outlived their original purposes by adapting the buildings for new uses. An old factory or school may become housing, a single family farmstead may become multi-family housing or artist’s space. A good example of adaptive reuse that also incorporates green building upgrades is the Tannery Mall in Newburyport. Adaptive reuse is an important tool for historic preservation and is one of the categories in which The Massachusetts Hisotrical Commission offers grants and gives awards each year.
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Tannery Mall in Newburyport
Massachusetts Historical Commission Preservation Awards
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Agricultural Preservation: As farmland in Massachusetts is consumed by development, many communities seek strategies for protecting agricultural lands. Three tools communities can use to protect farmland and support agriculture are Agricultural Commissions, Right-to-Farm Bylaws, and agricultural preservation restrictions. Agricultural Commissions are committees set up to help promote agriculture within a community. The Commissions must be established through a vote of the municipal legislative body. In its role as an advocate for farming, the Agricultural Commission will work with other town boards and commissions on issues that affect farming, help mediate disputes between farmers and adjacent land owners, and ensure that municipal policy recognizes farmers’ interests . Some Commissions sponsor local farmers’ markets and other outreach events.
As suburbanization continues to place residential uses next to established farms, conflicts can arise related to the byproducts of standard farming operations, such as noise at early hours, odors from fertilizer and livestock, tractor operation on roads, etc. Right-to-Farm bylaws provide protections that ensure that farmers will be able to continue to operate their businesses as development occurs around them. The bylaws reinforce the rights to farming outlined in Massachusetts General Laws, and often ensure that new residents moving to a community are officially notified that farming occurs in and is supported by the community.
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Massachusetts Handbook for Agricultural Commissions.
Dept. of Agricultural Resources info.
Model bylaw
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Agricultural Preservation Restrictions (APRs) are specialized conservation restrictions that apply to farms. An APR restricts the use of an existing farm to agricultural uses, prohibiting other uses or development of the property. An APR is established when a farmer sells the development rights to his land to a government body or non-profit.
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The Massachusetts APR program
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Brownfields Redevelopment Programs: Redevelopment of older industrial and commercial properties can offer great opportunities for smart growth projects. They are often located in developed areas already served by infrastructure, and buildings may include significant architectural features that are worth preserving. However, because many were used for industrial purposes before environmental regulations became prevalent, environmental contamination may exist. Brownfields are old industrial or commercial properties where real or perceived environmental hazards complicate redevelopment and reuse opportunities. Through its Brownfields Redevelopment Fund, Massachusetts offers financial assistance for Brownfields redevelopment in economically distressed areas in the state. The Brownfields Environmental Assessment program can provide interest-free loans of up to $50,000 for environmental studies to evaluate the level and type of contamination on a site.
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The Brownfields Redevelopment Fund provides low interest loans of up to $500,000 for site cleanup.
More info. on Massachusetts Brownfield programs
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