GREENFIELD — The Greenfield City Council approved changes to city ordinances at their meeting on Wednesday, Aug. 26, that will make it easier for residents to build decks and make other small additions to their homes without seeking permits.
The change to the code states that decks under 18 inches in height, along with “patios, outdoor fireplaces, doghouses, children’s play structures, as well as detached storage structures, bathhouses and cabanas not exceeding 200 square feet in size” can be built without an improvement location permit.
Homeowners building such structures must still adhere to other yard restrictions outlined in the code.
The changes approved also include a clarification of what distance from homes pools can be constructed — at least 6 feet — and various language changes intended to make the city’s zoning codes either to read.
Senior planner Jenna Wertman said the changes were part of an ongoing process to clean up city ordinances.
“We’ve been trying to make the code more understandable in general,” she said.