Adding on

Q. My daughter owns a house with a large plot of land. She and her husband would like me to build a mother-daughter addition. Help. How do we start this process and what are the steps to get it done? It would be one bedroom, bathroom, living room and eat-in kitchen. Thanks for your help.

A. Whoever said, “The more things change, the more they stay the same” must never had ventured beyond their front porch. Most municipalities vary a lot from one another. Things change all the time, and even with many years of experience, no one could possibly be certain that the rules governing zoning or building will remain the same. I ask for guidance all the time, even when I think I know, from previous experience, to be sure that the rules still apply. Zoning and building departments are regularly adjusting and changing the wording of their requirements, usually to accommodate some new challenge from someone finding a loophole or a way to skirt the way a law was written. Sometimes the changes are made to ease a problem caused by being too comprehensive, when one size doesn’t fit all circumstances and creates more problems than it solves.

The average person is often surprised to learn that the rules are constantly changing and that the codes are an evolving process. So the best way to get information is to go straight to the source, which I did for you. Your daughter’s town Department of Planning and Development was very helpful and corrected the terminology I used, explaining that they no longer issue “mother/daughter” use permits. The term used is now “accessory apartment permits.” But be aware that an accessory apartment isn’t the same as a two-family permit. The difference is that accessory apartment residences are owner-occupied, and the second unit is a rental. My guess is that this type of use may remove the complication that develops when a parent is no longer living in the home and the child becomes the owner. By making the residence an accessory-use apartment dwelling, the complication of turning the house officially back into a single-family residence isn’t necessary. It makes sense for the Town and the homeowner.