The Swellesley Report

Since 2005: More than you really want to know about Wellesley, Mass.

ADUs now part of Wellesley’s housing mix

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For Wellesley residents struggling with the town’s high housing costs, the solution may be right under their nose—specifically, the basement. 

An accessory dwelling unit (ADU) is a small secondary home built on the same property as a main house, frequently placed in backyards or converted from existing buildings like a garage or a basement. Owners often offer the space to relatives— earning them the nickname “in-law apartments”—or choose to rent them out to tenants. 

Although ADUs were only legalized in Massachusetts in 2025, they have been around in Wellesley since 2022. The town has seen a modest but steady increase in ADU building permit applications over the years, with three being filed in 2025. 

Andrew Mikula, a member of affordability advocacy group Building a Better Wellesley, said ADUs can help address the “harrowing housing shortage” in Massachusetts because they are typically smaller and more attainable than traditional single-family homes, particularly in a community as expensive as Wellesley. 

Unlike a developer proposing a new apartment building, Mikula said, an ADU project is typically initiated by a homeowner who already lives on the property and has a specific housing need in mind.

“They’re looking for a place for their mother-in-law, or their child [who] is home from college,” Mikula said. “So you’re connecting very directly to the demand for housing.”

Instead of dramatically changing existing neighborhoods, ADUs also allow communities to add housing incrementally. They can provide options for seniors looking to downsize, young adults transitioning to living independently or families hoping to establish themselves in Wellesley before purchasing a home, Mikula said. 

Wellesley amended its bylaws in April 2025 to align with statewide regulations after Massachusetts legalized ADUs two months earlier. This included eliminating the previous statute requiring the ADU owner to live on the property and removing the special permit required for detached ADUs.

Despite these changes, Mikula said Wellesley can still make ADUs more accessible, including by explaining regulations on the town website in clearer, more understandable language (here’s the town’s ADU webpage).

Mikula added that the town could do more outreach to residents “who might be in a position to benefit from ADUs,” particularly longtime homeowners who may not realize what options are available to them.

“I think there should be more information about ADUs available through the public library, the Council on Aging [and other] venues where people who are likely to be longtime homeowners can access it,” Mikula said.

Some homeowners, he said, might consider building an ADU for additional rental income, while others could eventually downsize into an ADU on their own property and rent out their primary residence.

“The vast majority of Wellesley homeowners probably won’t want to do that, but if there are a few hundred that do, that should be something the town promotes,” Mikula said.

Building an ADU in Wellesley

For Yardena and Joshua Katz, a Wellesley couple who applied for an ADU permit in July 2025, the idea was appealing in part because they had already seen the concept in practice.

Before moving to Wellesley, the Katzes lived in California, where Joshua said ADUs were “ubiquitous.” Hoping to eventually rent the unit to a student or professor at one of Wellesley’s colleges, the couple decided to build one on their property

However, the building process was considerably longer and more expensive than they expected, Joshua said, with one of the biggest challenges being uncertainty over how Wellesley’s ADU regulations should be applied. 

At one point, the town was requiring the Katzes to install electric vehicle charging infrastructure, even though the couple does not own an electric vehicle and a future tenant would not be parking in their garage. After discussing with town officials, Joshua said they were able to resolve the requirement.

“I think that even the people at the town are still kind of figuring out what the specific rules mean and how to interpret different things,” Joshua said.

Despite the complications, Yardena said the project was “well-received” by neighbors, whom the couple communicated with after beginning construction.

wellesley adu
Inside the ADU (courtesy photo)

 
“Everyone was very supportive and excited for the prospect,” Yardena said. “They were like, ‘Oh, that makes perfect sense to turn that space into an ADU.’” 

For homeowners considering an ADU, Joshua recommended finding professionals who can communicate directly with town officials and determine exactly what will be required before construction gets underway, and to prepare for the project to take longer than expected.

“Building is challenging enough when the rules are clear and well established, and it just becomes a lot more cumbersome and onerous when things are new and opaque and evolving,” Joshua said.

More: We toured Wellesley’s first official ADU (2023)

 

 

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Politics

‘I’m running, and I’m running as fast as I can’: Wellesley’s Margie Palladino campaigning for Governor’s Council

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“I’m running, and I’m running as fast as I can.” 

Margie Palladino
Margie Palladino

That’s how longtime Wellesley resident Margie Palladino describes her campaign to join the Massachusetts Governor’s Council, an eight-member elected body that votes on the governor’s judicial nominees.

With just three weeks before the ballot deadline, Palladino decided to join the race for the District 3 Councilor position. Despite the short notice, her supporters quickly gathered the 1,000 signatures needed to secure a spot on the ballot, setting up her campaign against incumbent Mara Dolan.

A retired trial attorney, Palladino has never held elected office. But she believes decades of local advocacy work — including securing a school bus route for students in her neighborhood and installing a stop sign on a busy residential street — have prepared her for the role. 

Palladino is also the co-founder of the Massachusetts Family Advocacy Coalition (MFAC), a nonprofit advocating for reforms to the family court system. There, she has worked with lawmakers to address domestic violence and coercive control.

“I live by this rule that if you don’t like what’s happening, you have to step up and make change,” Palladino said.

Palladino, a Democrat, is challenging fellow Democrat Dolan, who currently represents Wellesley in the Governor’s Council. Prior to serving on the Council, Dolan worked as a public defender for 15 years. 

Palladino said the catalyst for her campaign was Dolan’s April 2026 vote to confirm Mary Ferriter as a Probate and Family Court judge. 

According to Palladino, Dolan had sought the support of members of the Massachusetts Family Advocacy Coalition during her 2024 campaign, promising to confirm judges who were informed about domestic violence and trauma.

Palladino said MFAC “immediately jumped on her bandwagon,” with members donating money, setting up lawn signs and encouraging friends and family to vote for Dolan. 

“And she did get elected, and we just went on to our other silos of work, never concerned that the promise that she made would be breached,” Palladino said. 

Then, fourteen months into Dolan’s term, Governor Maura Healey nominated Ferriter to serve on the Probate and Family Court. 

Before her nomination, Ferriter practiced family law and served as the director of a controversial class for parents experiencing separation. The class, which is now discontinued, sought to create a better environment for children by facilitating healthy interactions between parents, such as meeting for coffee or finding “positive traits” about each other. 

Although the class is meant to screen out families experiencing domestic violence, many participants say they were still required to attend classes alongside their abusers. Refusing to attend or failing the class could impact their custodial rights, according to attendees. 

Rebecca Epstein, a member of MFAC who was ordered to participate in Ferriter’s class despite having a no-contact order with the parent of her child, described her experiences with Ferriter as “frankly traumatizing.”

mara dolan
Mara Dolan

In an interview with The Swellesley Report, Dolan said she is proud of her vote to confirm Ferriter, who Dolan described as well-qualified and thoroughly vetted. 

“[Ferriter] has helped countless victims of intimate partner violence,” Dolan said. “And I am disappointed that someone would suggest that Maura Healey …  would ever have nominated someone to be a probate and family court judge who would not be sensitive to these issues.”

Dolan maintained that she is “by far more qualified” for the Governor’s Council seat, as she currently practices law — while Palladino has not for years — and it’s important to have a councilor with a legal background.

Following Ferriter’s confirmation, Palladino said many members of MFAC asked her to challenge Dolan’s seat. 

However, Palladino emphasized that her decision to run was not solely about Ferriter. 

“I get asked, ‘Is this only about one vote?’ And it certainly is not,” Palladino said. “It’s really about trust, integrity, and judgment … she let down a group that typically does not have much power at all, that often is not listened to.” 

As councilor, Palladino said she would work with her colleagues to make the Governor’s Council more transparent. This includes publicizing councilors’ voting records, which currently can only be attained through a public records request, and establishing rules regarding conflicts of interest between councilors and nominees. 

Palladino is not the only one who thinks the Governor’s Council could benefit from greater transparency. David Harris co-founded Who Governs the Governor’s Council (WGGC), an educational resource aimed at increasing awareness of and improving the Council. 

Although the Governor’s Council has existed for hundreds of years, many Massachusetts residents are not even aware of its existence. On ballots, the office is listed simply as “Councilor,” a title that can leave voters unsure of what the position entails.

As a nonpartisan organization, Harris said WGGC is glad to see competitive races for the Governor’s Council. 

“I respect and admire [Palladino] as someone who learned about the Governor’s Council, didn’t like it and decided to try to do something about it,” Harris said.

Because Palladino and Dolan are both Democrats, and no Republican has entered the race, the District 3 seat will be decided in the Sept. 1 Democratic primary. 

More: 2026 State Primary Election information

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Education

Wellesley teen helps kids unplug and tune in through ‘soundscaping’

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In an era of artificial intelligence, endless notifications and constant social media, it can be difficult to escape the noise — especially for children who have never known a world without digital technology. Fifteen-year-old Wellesley resident Treya Madhavan wanted to give them that opportunity.

Madhavan, an incoming sophomore at The Winsor School, recently led a four-day soundscaping workshop at the Wellesley Free Library, where children ages 6 to 9 learned to create calming soundscapes using everyday objects.

 “Today, the environment can be very overstimulating for kids, for teenagers like me and for adults” Madhavan said. “ So I think that the best option to allow us to relax and calm down is soundscaping.”

soundscape
Treya Madhavan leads workshop (courtesy photo)

Madhavan describes soundscaping as combining different sounds to create one’s “own ambience,” whether that be ocean waves, a quiet forest or another peaceful setting.

Throughout the June 22–26 workshop, students explored the science of sound and created soundscapes of their own.

The first day focused on the fundamentals of sound. Students listened to recordings of everyday objects — such as an electric toothbrush — and guessed what produced each sound while identifying whether it was loud or soft, high- or low-pitched.

On the second day, Madhavan turned the lessons into a Jeopardy-style competition, with students answering questions about soundscaping, recording techniques and sound fundamentals to earn points for their team. 

“I think gamifying the class for them really helped them to be able to engage better,” Madhavan said. “I think it was really a learning experience for me to know how they learn and what will really help them get engaged with the work.”

The third day shifted from learning to creating. Using a box of objects provided by Madhavan, students experimented with different sounds, recorded their favorites and developed titles for their own soundscapes. Madhavan then edited the recordings together into finished pieces.

The workshop concluded on Thursday with a showcase, where students listened to one another’s soundscapes and offered feedback. Madhavan said she encouraged students to consider questions like “How does it make you feel?” and “What sounds did you notice the most?” in their reflection. 

Although she began with elementary-age children, Madhavan said she hopes to expand the workshops to include teenagers and adults. 

“I feel like it was a good learning experience for me to start off with a younger group, so I can see what they think,” Madhavan said. “From there I could go to adults who have their own devices, who can make their own soundscapes.”

The experience also helped her understand how children “see the world,” Madhavan said, as she noticed how the younger kids identified sounds while the older kids could pinpoint the exact objects are making each sound. 

soundscaping
Soundscape workshop (Courtesy photo)

Yu Qru, an executive director at a pharmaceutical company, brought his son, Albert, after Qru’s wife, who works at the library, saw the program advertised.

For Qru, the workshop held special significance because his daughter has hearing loss.

“I think sound is [one of] the many different ways kids are learning from the world,” Qru said. “We would like Albert to have a greater sense of sound, and develop the brain, and then interact with other kids.”

Qru said he was especially impressed to learn Madhavan was only 15 years old.

Encouraged by the workshop’s popularity, Madhavan is already thinking about ways to expand future sessions. 

“This workshop actually had a very high demand, because the library gave me 10 spots, and 10 kids like took out the spots,” Madhavan said. “Next time I could make the workshops shorter … so then I can have more workshops each day, so then more kids can be able to join.”

Despite the strong turnout, Madhavan said the children’s engagement throughout the week was what stood out most to her. 

“I think it was also nice for them to like stop, pause, and think, and being able to collaborate with each other,” Madhavan said. “And also, the kids are very sweet, they’re very nice to me.”

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At 79, Wellesley aerobics instructor ‘Bitsy’ Graham still teaching & inspiring

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Bitsy Graham aerobics
Bitsy Graham & aerobics class members (Photo by Isabelle Zhang)

When Elizabeth ‘Bitsy’ Graham learned in 2019 that her husband needed a kidney transplant, she immediately volunteered to be the donor. Despite her being 72 years old and well above the average donor age, doctors approved the transplant—because her organs were as healthy as those of someone in their 40s. 

For Graham, the results came as little surprise.

After nearly 47 years of practicing and teaching aerobics in Wellesley, Graham credits the sport for keeping her healthy. Now, at 79, she helps other women do the same.

“I have been given this opportunity with good health to be able to spread the idea of being as strong as you possibly can, being as healthy as you can,” the Wellesley resident said. “Being as young in heart and mind and body and spirit as you can.” 

Every weekday at 8:45 a.m., Graham leads a choreography-based aerobics class at the Warren Building at 90 Washington St. through the Recreation Department that attracts women ranging from their teens to their 70s. Some students have been attending for more than four decades.

Ellen Zockoff, who has taken Bitsy’s classes for 42 years, described them as “addictive.”

“I’ve tried other classes, and they don’t cover the same range of muscles and joints,” Zockoff said. “And the recovery from my replacements, which was recent, is amazingly faster when we have a class like this.”

Graham said her own quick recovery from her kidney donation, which she attributed to aerobics, demonstrated what she always told her students: a healthy body is better equipped to handle life’s challenges.

“When your body is fit on the inside, it responds and recovers from all kinds of challenges and trauma,” Graham said. “I think that’s one of the things that people have really realized in my class, because they’ve been able to have surgery and come back, be well and be able to have no limitations.”

The connections students build through Bitsy’s class are another reason many have stayed for decades.

Svea Fraser, another student who has attended Bitsy’s class for over 40 years, said the community is tight-knit. 

“People connection makes a big difference to me,” Fraser said. “We get to know each other, we know if you’re not here … it is really a loving, welcoming class.”

Bitsy Graham aerobics
Photo by Isabelle Zhang

While many of the faces in the room have remained the same, the class itself has changed a lot over the years. 

Graham, who taught science and music before teaching aerobics, said she has evolved and improved her classes based on advancements in sports medicine research. 

“I think by constantly altering things and adding and changing the music … it doesn’t become tedious,” Graham said. “You don’t overwork any muscle group or any joint, so that it’s safe, it’s comprehensive, it’s fun.”

The ever-changing choreography and music also help ensure her students stay engaged and have fun, according to Graham. 

“I wanted people to have a good time, because exercise that’s boring, people quit,” Graham said. “I felt like it was like a mission for me.”

As she approaches her 50th year of teaching and her 80th birthday, Graham said people often ask when she plans to retire. Her answer is simple: not yet.

“As long as there are people that want to work out with me, that want to do this program, and I am physically able to do it, I will do it,” Graham said. “Because I really believe that it is my calling, and I know that there are people whose lives were changed because they came to this class and they stayed with it. So why would I quit that?”

Have a community-oriented story you’d like to share? Please let us know: theswellesleyreport@gmail.com

Wellesley Symphony Orchestra
Wellesley Marketplace 2026