An Act To Encourage Policies Regarding Accessory Dwelling Units under Local Comprehensive Plans and Zoning Requirements
Maine Legislature, Session 129, LD 0970
Committee Amendment CA_A_H179 (House)
Amends: 30-A MRSA §4326

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 'A " to H.P. 725, L.D. 970, Bill, "An Act To 
Encourage Policies Regarding Accessory Dwelling Units under Local Comprehensive 
Plans and Zoning Requirements" 
Amend the bill in section 1 by striking out all of subsection 1-B (page 1, lines 3 and 4 
in L.D.) and inserting the following: 
'1-B. Accessory dwelling unit. "Accessory dwelling unit" means a self-contained 
dwelling unit located within. attached to or detached from a single-family dwelling unit 
located on the same parcel ofland.' 
Amend the bill by striking out all of section 6 (page 1, lines 27 to 3 9 and page 2, lines 
to 5 in L.D.) and inserting the following: 
'Sec. 6. 30-A MRSA §4326, sub-§3-A, 1G, as amended by PL 2015, c. 349, §4, 
is further amended to read: 
G. Ensure that the municipality's or multimunicipal region's land use policies and 
ordinances encourage the siting and construction of affordable housing within the 
community and comply with the requirements of section 4358 pe1iaining to 
individual mobile home and mobile home park siting and design requirements. The 
municipality or multimunicipal region shall seek to achieve a level of at least 10% of 
new residential development, based on a 5-year historical average of residential 
development in the municipality or multimunicipal region, that meets the definition 
of affordable housing. A municipality or multimunicipal region is encouraged to 
seek creative approaches to assist in the development of affordable housing, 
including, but not limited to, cluster housing, reduced minimum lot and frontage 
sizes, inereased residential densities, use of flffi11'i:cipally owned la»d and 
estaalishm613:t of policies that assess commUHity aeeds aad environm613:tal effects of 
mUHicipal regulations, lessea the effect of ~rnessive parking requirements for 
auildings in dovmtovms and oa main streets aad provide for alternative approaches 
for compliance relating to the reuse of upper floors ofauildings m downtovms and on 
m::11n l'ltrE!E!ti;:·~ 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT ·A" to H.P. 725, L.D. 970 
(1) Cluster housing; 
(2) Reduced minimum lot and frontage sizes: 
(3) Increased residential densities; 
(4) Use of municipally owned land; 
(5) Establishment of policies that: 
(a) 
Assess community needs and environmental effects of municipal 
regulations: 
(b) Lessen the effect of excessive parking requirements for buildings in 
downtowns and on main streets; and 
(c) Provide for alternative approaches for compliance relating to the reuse of 
upper floors of buildings in downtowns and on main streets; and 
(6) Provisions for accessory dwelling units;' 
Amend the bill in section 9 in paragraph Lin the first line (page 2, line 20 in L.D.) by 
striking out the following: "Establish" and inserting the following: 'Encourage' 
Amend the bill by relettering or renumbering any nonconsecutive Part letter or 
section number to read consecutively. 
SUMMARY 
This amendment expands the definition of "accessory dwelling unit" to include a 
dwelling unit attached to and detached from another single-dwelling unit. It clarifies that 
municipalities are encouraged to develop policies in the comprehensive planning process 
that provide for accessory dwelling units, but it does not require municipalities to permit 
accessory dwelling units. It reorganizes the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 30-A, section 
4236, subsection 3-A, paragraph G for ease of understanding. 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT