Revise the Zoning Laws for ADUs

As a response to our state’s efforts to address our housing and cost-of-living crisis, the East Providence City Council recently took action to revise our zoning laws following the General Assembly’s legalization of Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) on certain residential lots larger than 20,000 square feet in 2024. ADUs are a crucial component in expanding housing options, whether residents wish to age in place where their family members reside or generate additional income so they can continue to afford to live in their communities.

During this process, the Council debated a lower minimum lot size requirement for ADUs in our city, and eventually settled on 5,000 square feet, down from their original proposal of 7,500 square feet. While I applaud our Council for lowering the requirement, as the law currently stands, a large number of residents will still need to comply with antiquated setback and coverage requirements when considering an ADU. Because of this, ADUs are legal on paper but not in practice.

Our city has a plethora of existing regulations that make building an ADU impossible on a significant portion of existing lots. This leaves the burden of seeking a zoning variance on the individual homeowner. A resident must gamble with a lengthy and costly appeals process before a single stake is driven into the ground, in which the required variance(s) may not even be granted at all. Our policy makers should not be relying on the variance process for what should otherwise be something granted by-right.

Jimmy Pimentel