DALTON, Mass. — For nearly two years, Amy Turnbull has been trying to amend the current Accessory Dwelling Units bylaws to include mobile tiny homes. 

 

A movable tiny home is defined as a unit under 400 square feet that meets all of someone's daily needs, including sanitation, cooking, and other facilities, and which is also mobile.

 

The item has been on the Planning Board's agenda for nearly every meeting. However, every time it comes up, the board tables it citing too many unanswered questions that need to be addressed first. 

 

"It's been two years. It's ridiculous how long you guys have sat on this. It's unacceptable in a housing crisis to go so long," Turnbull said during a heated Planning Board meeting in December after they voted to table the item again. 

 

During the meeting she read from the town's Housing Needs Assessment which demonstrates how a little more than a quarter of the town's population are seniors, which is projected to increase to a third in 10 years. 

 

"The vast majority of this age cohort are homeowners. A common trend seen throughout Berkshire County is seniors who want to "age in place" but due to physical limitations cannot maintain their homes, so they are forced to relocate," she read. 

 

"Most homes in Dalton are three bedrooms, which is beyond the needs of most seniors. And,

there are no current rental options available for seniors who may want to relocate to a smaller, more manageable home. The financial burdens of homeownership have risen, denying such owners the likely ability to have financial security, especially if a senior has limited income based primarily on Social Security." 

 

To aid in this Turnbull advocated for ADUs, which are now available by right as state law. However, because of the high cost associated with ADUs, she believes mobile tiny homes would be more accessible.

 

The unit can be driven to and installed on a property allowing the seniors to live near family or rent it out for additional income. 

 

Turnbull has been working with board member Jarred Mongeon on the ADU subcommittee in an effort to get this amendment passed. 

 

Similar to Great Barrington, Turnbull proposes the town add Movable Accessory Dwelling Unit (MADU) to the definition section of the Accessory Structures and Uses bylaw. 

 

Her proposal defines a movable tiny house as a "residential property with an existing primary house, intended for year-round living," and outlines nine conditions for approval.

 

Among these conditions: the unit must adhere to accessory dwelling unit regulations, undergo site plan review, be licensed and registered with the state Registry of Motor Vehicles, have approved energy, water, and wastewater systems, and comply with American National Standards Institute 119.5 and National Fire Protection Association 1192 safety requirements.

 

Additionally, the unit must be certified for ANSI or NFPA compliance by a manufacturer or third-party inspector, including adherence to Appendix Q and the International Residential Code's structural guidelines and energy efficiency standards. The tiny house cannot move under its own power, and its undercarriage, wheels, axles, tongue, and hitch must be concealed from view. Wheels and leveling or support jacks are required to rest on a level gravel or paved surface.

 

One concern has been the vehicles not matching the architecture of the town and the main home. However, Turnbull has demonstrated that a condition can be included in the bylaw that the unit match the style of the main home or neighborhood. 

 

There are a lot of moving parts to a movable tiny home, said Vice Chair Robert Collins, which Turnbull immediately disagreed with.

 

"They are exactly the same as [Accessory Dwelling Units] so, I think you are complicating it," she said. 

 

An ADU stands alone on its own and has different infrastructure, Collins said. 

 

The town has to determine the impact mobile tiny homes would have on the utility ties-ins such as sewer, electricity, and water. Additionally, the board needs to know how to correctly tax the unit. 

 

The board wants guidance from town departments, including health, water, sewer, which have not yet weighed in.

 

Turnbull requested to hold a public hearing on the matter board members decided to table the item instead because they believed more information was needed before that point. 

 

She questioned why details could not be determined during the hearing but the board chose to vote to table instead. Turnbull left in frustration. 

 

When Turnbull left, Board Chair Zack R. McCain III highlighted how another option she could pursue is getting the bylaw on the town meeting warrant via a citizens petition. 

 

Turnbull has been in the process of collecting signatures for a citizens petition. Updates on her mobile tiny home advocacy here. 

 

Turnbull also attended a Fire District meeting for guidance on utilities. 

 

At the meeting, Water Department Superintendent Bob Benlien outlined two options: either tap into the primary residence's water line and run a new underground branch to the mobile tiny home, or install a completely separate water service connection from the street to the unit, which would require paying the standard new connection fee.

 

"I'd recommend a perhaps eight inch PVC pipe, where the pipe is suspended in the middle of it. If it's insulated around the outside during the cold month, the warmth of the dirt at five feet deep will have some heat rising up through that pipe that should help prevent it from freezing, provided it doesn't have the drafts coming from the top," he said. 

 

Benlien also advocated there being two separate shut-off valves — one for the main residence and one for the mobile tiny home — that way the district can turn off the water for the unit in case of an emergency. 

 

He will continue to develop guidelines for connecting the movable tiny homes, including technical recommendations for burial, insulation, shutoff options, and installation procedures and will discuss it with the commissioners. 

 

The commission also intends to review and discuss the utility rates, installation methods, permit requirements.