Photo: The Special Town Meeting has been moved to March 3

The Belmont Select Board has rescheduled the Feb. 10 virtual Special Town Meeting on the acceptance of Massachusetts’ new Accessory Dwelling Units law to Monday, March 3.

Town Administrator Patrice Garvin told the Belmontonian that the proposed move, announced at the Joint Budget Summit 3 on Thursday, Jan. 23, is necessitated by “significant new changes” soon to be coming from Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey’s office.

“In between the time that the Select Board set that meeting date and now, the state announced that it would be releasing some guidelines or regulations related to ADUs,” said Select Board Chair Elizabeth Dionne to the joint meeting. “It makes absolutely no sense for us to try and meet a week after they release those regulations before the Planning Board had time to consider them.”

“We are postponing the meeting so we will have full information to present to Town Meeting which it can then make decisions and vote on,” said Dionne.

In August, Healey signed into law the Affordable Homes Act, which makes accessory dwelling units—also known as in-law apartments—a By-Right use in single-family zoning districts. This allows property owners to build an ADU without having to obtain special or discretionary approval from the local zoning board.

The Special Town Meeting is to discuss and vote on amending Belmont’s Zoning By-Law to allow small residential living space to be located on the same lot as another home. Healey contends ADUs can play a significant role in easing the existing housing crisis.