Regulations and Maps

6a: Amend Residential Zone Standards to: 

• Update the development standards table of Section 8.1.1 by specifying “building density” as “subdivision building density” and updates footnotes as required by Recommendation 3 and 4 amendments. 

• Eliminate existing Section 8.1.2, which describes a hardship variance that is under the authority of ZBA to issue. 

• Amend existing Section 8.1.3 (new Section 8.1.2) to better describe the intent of the regulation and provide a limit to the Commission’s discretion in varying the standards. 

• Add new Section 8.1.3 to restore and update the cluster subdivision standards. 

• Provide a definition of Subdivision Building Density in Section 23. 

• Change “Maximum building density” in Section 6.29.1 table to “Maximum dwelling unit density” to avoid confusion with subdivision building density and better describe the requirement.

OR 6b: Amend Residential Zone Standards to:

• Modify the development standards in Section 8.1.1 by increasing building coverage while reducing minimum lot area, frontage, and building line dimension in the RR, AA, RA, RB, and RC zones in order to reduce non-conformities. 

• Eliminate existing Section 8.1.2, which describes a hardship variance that is under the authority of ZBA to issue. 

• Amend existing Section 8.1.3 (new Section 8.1.2) to better describe the intent of the regulation and provide a limit to the Commission’s discretion in varying the standards. 

• Add new Section 8.1.3 to restore and update the cluster subdivision standards. – Perhaps we consolidate all these under 8.1: Modify the standards in Section 8.1

• Provide a definition of Subdivision Building Density in Section 23. 

• Change “Maximum building density” in Section 6.29.1 table to “Maximum dwelling unit density” to avoid confusion with subdivision building density and better describe the requirement.

 • Amend the Section 7.1 Accessory Uses Prohibited for Residential Uses in Residential Zones to specify that the prohibition on storage of commercial goods or equipment applies to outside storage only. 

• Amend the Section 7.6 Accessory Dwelling Unit regulations to allow for larger units relative to the size of the principal dwelling, removes restrictions on increases to the size of the principal dwelling unit, and allows for a second curb cut for detached ADU’s if located on a separate street from the principal dwelling unit driveway curb cut. 

• Amend the Section 7.23 Off-Street Parking regulations to expand the permitted parking to vehicles leased by or registered to the resident and replaces the one-ton limit for commercial vehicle parking at a residence to a 12,500-pound gross vehicle weight

PROPOSED:  Proposed comprehensive amendments to the zoning regulations:  Recommendation 4: Update Residential Principal Use Regulations to: 

• Amend Section 6.14.9 to establish a 40-year minimum for the required affordable housing component of historic mill conversions to multi-family and requires recording of the affordable units on the deed.

• Simplify the Section 6.29.1 multi-family regulations by removing redundant limits on building area.

• Remove the height limit standard of 40 feet in Section 6.29.1 in favor of regulating height from the Section 8.1.1 development standards table. Increases the height limit of the PRD from 35 feet to 40 feet to match the height limit currently allowed for multi-family dwellings by Section 6.29.

• Remove the Section 6.31.3 height limit restriction for conversion of school buildings to residential.  

• Add new Section 6.39 Residential, Single-Family and provide a cross-reference before Section 6.30 where this section would be located if provided alphabetically (providing as Section 6.39 avoids the renumbering of subsequent sections) so as to prohibit the construction of an outside stairway providing access above the first floor an any side of a house facing a street.

• Remove language from Sections 6.35.1 and 6.36.1 requiring that the Commission shall find that the conversion will not impair the character of the neighborhood or jeopardize single-family property values. Such conversions require a Special Exception and the Commission is required to consider the Special Exception criteria provided by Section 18.10, which takes these factors into account.

• Remove the lot area requirement from Sections 6.36.2 and 6.36.3, and replaces with a new requirement in Section 6.36.1 that conversions meet the minimum lot area of the zone in which located.

• Simplify the Section 6.30 two-family residence regulations by removing content that is redundant with the Section 8.1.1 Residential Bulk Standards.

• Remove the public water and sewer requirement for two-family residences located in the RA zone.

• Allow for reduced lot standards for two-family residences in the RA zone (as is allowed in other zones) for buildings where each dwelling unit is located on its own lot.

• Remove the Commission’s discretion in modifying the lot area and frontage requirement for two-family residences in the PRD zone.

• Introduce new standards for two-family residences in the AA zone contingent upon adoption of the Recommendation 3 amendments.

• Prohibit the construction of outside stairs providing access above the first floor on the front or side of single-family homes.

• Allow nurseries in AA zone as a permitted principal use (it is currently allowed in the RR, RA, RB, and RC zones without a known reason for its exclusion from the AA zone).

• Allow two-family residential in the AA zone by Special Exception.

• Allow single-family conversion to two-family in the AA zone by Special Exception.

• Allow multi-family residential in RB and RC zones by Special Exception and provides a new Section 6.29.3 that establishes regulations for such uses.

• Restore renting of rooms as a permitted accessory use in the AA, RA, RB, and RC zones, which had been allowed in those zones prior to adoption of the updated regulations in June of 2025.

• Expand Section 24 definition of “place of worship” to include accessory uses such as memorial gardens and eliminates memorial gardens from the accessory use summary table so as to allow memorial gardens in any zone a place of worship is permitted, memorial gardens are currently only permitted in the RR.

• Add junk yard to the Section 3.2 list of prohibited uses.

• Provide a definition of “Gas manufacture”, which is currently in the Section 3.2 prohibited use list.

• Remove the 6-month time limit for building permit applications for nonconforming structures.
• Eliminate Section 3.1.4.C as there should not be prohibitions on the reconstruction of a building if the building itself is conforming, regardless of whether the use is nonconforming.
• Provide specific detail regarding how the Section 3.1.5 exemption is applied.

Proposed Text(PDF, 161KB)

Town Clerk Exhibit(PDF, 421KB)

Proposed Text(PDF, 273KB)

Town Clerk Exhibit(PDF, 531KB)

Proposed Text(PDF, 180KB)

Town Clerk Exhibit(PDF, 444KB)

Proposed Text(PDF, 230KB)

Town Clerk Exhibit(PDF, 480KB)