Berlin Planning Board Unanimously Backs PADU Parking Fix for Town Meeting

BERLIN — April 28, 2026 — Berlin Planning Board unanimously recommends a zoning bylaw tweak required by the state attorney general. The board voted 5-0 at its April 28 meeting to endorse a warrant article that would amend Section 506C of the zoning bylaw to exempt protected accessory dwelling units from a one-space parking requirement if they fall within a half-mile of a transit station, and would add a definition of "transit station" covering subway stations, commuter rail stations, ferry terminals, and bus stations. Members acknowledged the change has no practical effect in Berlin, which has no qualifying transit infrastructure, but said the AG's office had rejected the original PADU bylaw for omitting the state-mandated language. "It's totally irrelevant, but we have to incorporate it," one member told resident Lynn Ryan, who attended the hearing and questioned where in town anyone would be close to public transportation. The article now heads to Annual Town Meeting for a voter vote.