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Who benefits from ADUs?

ADUs allow older adults to age in place and help multi-generational families stay together.

Evan Carter. This video was funded through a grant from The Henry and Marilyn Taub Foundation.

Comparing ADU Ordinances Across Municipalities in NJ

ADU requirements and restrictions vary greatly, presenting different levels of difficulty for interested homeowners.

Zoning Requirements Maplewood Princeton Bradley Beach East Orange

Eligible lot

Primary must be single-family home; R-1-4, R-1-5, R-1-7 or R-2-4 Zones

Zones R-A through R-H

Primary must be single-family home; accessory must be on the second floor of a two-car garage; may not be on a corner lot

R-1 District; permitted as conditional use, subject to approval by the Planning Board and variance

Occupancy

Must be owner-occupied; no more than three occupants and two bedrooms

No more than three habitable rooms, or four if the unit is deed-restricted affordable

No more than one bedroom

None

Parking

None

No additional off-street parking required for two room ADUs. One additional off-street parking space shall be required for ADUs that contain three habitable rooms

Two off-street parking spaces in addition to those required for the single-family dwelling

One additional off-street space, plus another 0.5 parking spaces per additional bedroom; can apply for variance

Restrictions

If attached, must be same color/materials as primary; preserve the physical housing stock and the architectural and landscaping character of residential neighborhoods.”

Three rooms unless COAH, then it’s four; if attached, must be same color/materials

Not permitted on corner lots

Permitted as conditional use, subject to approval by the Planning Board; shall harmonize with the character of the neighborhood in which it is proposed

Dimensional Controls

No more than 40% of the living area of a principal dwelling unit and no more than 800 sq ft, whichever is greater; no less than 300 sq ft

No more than 800 sq ft or 25% percent of the total floor area of the principal dwelling unit, whichever is greater

Maximum apartment floor area: 600 sq ft including staircase

Less than 25% of the principal building not including the cellar

Accessibility & Affordability Incentives

If handicap accessible, allowed 5% increase of the maximum floor area

If handicap accessible, allowed 5% increase of the maximum floor area; if COAH, 5% increase in square footage and allowed more than three rooms, unless COAH then four room allowance

None

None

Entrances

There shall be no external entrance that faces a street and that is separate from any other external entrance to any building on the same lot facing the same street.

There shall be no external entrance that faces a street and that is separate from any other external entrance to any building on the same lot facing the same street.

None

None

From local to state, there’s a right-size for all

The New Jersey Statewide Age Friendly Collaborative’s Local Accelerator Group and RPA hosted a webinar to share how local efforts are leading to expanded ADU options across the New York-New Jersey-Connecticut area, featuring Maplewood Mayor, Dean Dafis.

Regional Plan Association. This work was funded in part through a grant from The Henry and Marilyn Taub Foundation.