Name: Tom Shiple
Office Sought: Planning Board
e-mail address: tshiple [at] gmail.commichaelschanbacherlexpb [at] gmail.com (
)phone number: 781-296-3700

Community Activities: 

• Town Meeting Member, Precinct 9: 2018-Present
• Bicycle Advisory Committee: 2023-Present
• Zoning Board of Appeals associate: 2024-present

Changes in the Affordable Homes Act that will take effect on February 2, 2025 opens up the possibilities for Accessory Dwelling Units (ADU).  It includes many policy changes that will unlock housing production in our state, such as allowing accessory dwelling units.  Where do you stand on making it easier for residents to build ADUs? What does this mean for Lexington?

I favor the new state legislation that allows for Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) on single family home properties. ADUs provide helpful flexibility for homeowners in many situations: those with aging parents, downsizers, returning adult children, special needs family members, or needing a rental income stream because of a tight budget. Because ADUs are sprinkled throughout town, demand on municipal services is distributed and the minor increase in density tends to go unnoticed by neighbors.

Lexington already allows ADUs that are part of the main house by-right, and detached ADUs by special permit. Despite this availability, fewer than five new ADUs per year have been applied for and occupied since our bylaw was updated by Town Meeting in 2016. The new state law extends Lexington’s bylaw to allow detached ADUs by-right. This is a minor change to our bylaw, so while the state law is welcome in terms of what it will mean for the region, I don’t expect it to have a significant impact on the number of ADUs permitted in Lexington.