Rockport planners start drafting rules for tiny houses

Rockport's Planning Board has begun working on a bylaw to allow tiny houses, the first step in meeting a state deadline that came with a housing designation voters approved this spring.

The board's Sept. 17 agenda listed two "Seasonal Communities" bylaws for discussion: tiny houses and construction on substandard lots.

Why the town has to act

In February, the state Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities named Rockport a "Seasonal Community," a designation created under the state's 2024 Affordable Homes Act.

Rockport qualified because short-term rentals make up more than 3.25% of its housing, and more than 12.5% of its homes are used seasonally or are not the owner's main residence, according to the Planning Board's report to voters.

Voters approved the designation on a voice vote at the April 11 annual town meeting.

With the designation, the town must adopt two zoning changes at town meeting within 24 months:

• Tiny houses. Rockport must allow detached homes of no more than 400 square feet as the main home on a lot. They must be lived in year-round and meet building codes. A March presentation to residents said they must be allowed by right in single-family residential districts.
• Smaller lots. The town must allow year-round housing on "undersized" lots of at least 10,000 square feet, or 25% of the district's minimum lot size if that is larger. Homes built this way cannot be used as seasonal homes or short-term rentals, and must be occupied at least 10 months a year.

What else the designation allows

The designation also lets the town adopt optional rules, including year-round occupancy restrictions, a year-round housing trust fund, and housing preferences for town workers such as teachers, public works employees and first responders.

At the same April town meeting, voters also approved restoring a six-month minimum lease for accessory apartments. The state attorney general had struck down that limit as unreasonable, and the Planning Board told voters the designation would allow it.

The state's rules for seasonal communities took effect Feb. 27.