Zoning Revisions Committee Final Presentation
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Transcript of Zoning Revisions Committee Final Presentation
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Rezoning Northampton for a Sustainable Future
Highlights from Final Report of
the Zoning Revisions Committee
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Process
Met two times per month for two years
Analyzed existing zoning and Sustainable NorthamptonPlan
Conducted focus group meetings with neighborhood groups,developers, etc.
Held five public forums
Accepted public comment at every meeting
Zoning Revisions Process
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KEY RECOMMENDATIONS
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Translating Sustainability Goals into Zoning Goals
Task: Boil Future Land Use Map and 45 pages of goals, objectives and strategies from the
Sustainable Northampton Plan into a short set of summary goals that are relevant tozoning.
Concentrate development and allow for a wide range of housing types and workspaces in walkable, mixed-use neighborhood, village and commercial centers
Minimize development in areas that lack infrastructure or have significantenvironmental, open space or agricultural resources
Promote environmental performance, including energy and resource efficiency
Make the zoning code more user-friendly and processes more transparent
Promote design that fits into neighborhoods so that new development makesthe city a better place.
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Key Recommendations
Long-term: Invest in a comprehensive effort to restructure and rewrite the entire
zoning code
Medium-term: Address parking in dense residential neighborhoods (e.g. through on-
street residential parking permits AND changes to parking requirements
in zoning)
Short-term: Revise urban agriculture provisions (backyard chickens)
Revise Home Business Provisions
Revise Accessory ApartmentP
rovisions Revise Planned Development Provisions
Revise Dimensional Standards for URC, URB, and URA
Establish design standards for larger projects
Develop a non-binding design guidebook to encourage compatible designin Northampton
Take steps to make the zoning easier to understand
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HOME BUSINESSPROVISIONS
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Home Businesses
Overview of Current Regulations
A home occupation does not require Special Permit only if:
No clients or customers are seen on site
There is no sign for the business
There are no sales of goods from the premises
You dont meet or work with other people in your house
If home business activity doesnt fit this narrow definition, then a SpecialPermit is required to allow a small sign, sale of goods from the home, or oneother person to work with you
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Home Business Proposal
Goal
Allow many types of home business by right, but minimize impactson neighborhoods
Allow current illegal home businesses to operate legally
Strategies Regulate auto traffic instead of clients and customers seen
Do not distinguish between types of visits (by client, employee,delivery person, contractor, etc.)
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Home Business Proposal
Benefits for Sustainability
Supports
Infill and uses existing structures for multiplepurposes (mixed-use)
Entrepreneurship, and lowers barriers to smallbusiness
Equity - applies to all kinds of work equally(professional services, home made goods, etc.)
Reduces
Traffic and use of nonrenewable resources
Cost of doing business in Northampton
Regulations - fewer special permits required
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Home Business Proposal Definition (Slide # 10)
A Home Business:
Is conducted entirely within the buildings on a property
Does not cause any outward manifestation that is uncharacteristic of or
an additional disturbance to the neighborhood e.g. traffic, parking congestion, noise or air pollution, outdoor materials
storage, public service or utility demand
Does not include any clinical medical/dental practice, veterinary
hospital, restaurant, retail or wholesale supply shop or store, ormortuary. Other uses may be excluded on a case-by case basis.
Definition applies to By Right and Special Permit Home Businesses.
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Home Business Provisions (Proposed) (Slide # 11)
(Apply to By Right and Special Permit Home Businesses)
It is secondary to use of the dwelling for residential purposes
A principal practitioner of the business resides in the home
It does not occupy more than 40% of the floor area
No goods are sold from the premises
Except for those created in the home or sold by internet or telephone
It does not produce noise, obnoxious odors, vibrations, glare, fumes or electricalinterference detectable to normal sensory perception beyond the lot line
The structure conforms to all applicable fire, building, and health codes.
A one square foot sign, attached to building and not lighted, is allowed
If in an accessory structure, structure must conform to setback requirements foraccessory structures in that district, unless a Finding by the ZBA in accordancewith 350 9.3 is made
Must be registered with the city including business hours, vehicle trips, etc.
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Home Business Proposal By Right
Additional Provisions for By Right Home Businesses
There is no outdoor storage of materials, merchandise, or equipment
Up to two open studios to sell home made goods permitted per year
No more than 30 automobile round trips per week
Maximum of 7 trips in any single day
Hours of operation must be between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m.
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Home Business Proposal Special Permits
Special Permit Required To:
Generate more than 30 automobile round trips per week
Generate more than 7 automobile round trips in any one day
Propose operating hours outside of 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Hold more than 2 open studio functions per year
Store materials outdoors, as long as stored materials are not visible from thestreet or adjacent properties
Special Permits must be renewed once, immediately following the first year of
operation, and then may be renewed in perpetuity if no changes are made
Other than providing these additional options by Special Permit, ALLOTHER PROVISIONS FOR HOME BUSINESS BY RIGHT STILL APPLY
(See Slides 10 & 11)
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ZONING IN TRADITIONALNEIGHBORHOODS
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Non-Conformance in Traditional Neighborhoods
What percentage of homes in our urban neighborhoods do not conform* to
current minimum lot size zoningregulations?**URC
- 63% of 1-3 family homes do not conform
- 83% of 4 family homes do not conform
URB
- 32% of 1 family homes do not conform
- 62% of 2 family homes do not conform
- 82% of 3 family homes do not conform
URA
- 35% of 1 family homes do not conform
- 100% of 2 family and multiple-family homes do
not conform (they are not allowed)*Non-Conforming refers to a property that is used or structures that are built in a way that is not permitted by the zoning for
the property. The use is grandfathered, or permitted to continue, because the land was being used in such a fashionbefore the zoning law was passed.
**This analysis looked only at conformance with lot size requirements. An analysis of properties that also meet minimumsetback, frontage and other requirements would yield even higher rates of non-conformance
Why Does this Matter?
- Zoning doesnt matchour existing
neighborhoods
- We have great urbanneighborhoods that cannever be built again!
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Non-Conformance in Traditional Neighborhoods
Example:Walnut Street Properties that DoNot Conform to their Zoning(by lot size)
84% could not be built on these lots today!
84%
Example: Elizabeth Street This 2-FamilyHome Could Not be Built Today
Lot Size: 5,183 Square Feet
Today, would need 12,000 SF to buildthis home
Would need 8,000 SF to even build asingle family home
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Innovative Infill Housing NOT Allowed
COTTAGE & POCKET HOUSING
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Adaptive Reuse Infill Housing NOT Allowed
ADAPTIVE REUSE OF OBSOLETE BUILDINGS
Allowed Downtown, but.
Not allowed in Leeds
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Infill
Infill is rose to the Surface as a Critical Issue for Sustainability
Infill is new construction or redevelopment that 'fills in' empty lots or adds unitsor uses in areas that are already developed
Infill is an important tool for concentrating development in walkableneighborhoods, rather than sprawling into undeveloped areas
Infill is the historic pattern of development in Northampton
ParkingLots
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RESIDENTIAL INFILLPROPOSALS
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Infill in Urban Residential Zones
Summary:Problems with The Current Zoning
The current dimensional regulations are designed to DECREASE the density ofexisting neighborhoods, while the sustainability plan says to INCREASE density -there was continued support for this idea at our public meetings
Innovative housing types, especially where people have smaller homes withshared yards (e.g. cottage housing), are not allowed
Adaptive reuse of obsolete structures like old churches and schools for housing isnot possible in our neighborhoods
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Infill in Urban Residential Zones
Sustainability Benefits of Changes to Allow Residential Infill
Environment: More people live in walking distance to goods and services = less driving
Allows flexible reuse of existing buildings and properties in face of changing householdsizes and needs. Reuse is more resource-efficient than new construction
Economy: More residents to support nearby businesses, both existing and new (and more businesses
nearby will make neighborhoods even more walkable)
Rental income for property owners
More disposable income due to lower car expenses (more walking = less driving)
Equity: More variety of in-town housing = more people can afford to live here
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Infill in Urban Residential Zones
Residents of neighborhoods where you can walk to services and jobs drive less,but there are more total drivers
New construction can be beautiful and add to the sense of place of theneighborhood, but sometimes neighbors dont like the way a particular projectlooks (design is discussed later)
Reduces the need for expensive new infrastructure, but also increases use ofexisting infrastructure
Considerations: Allowing More Infill
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Residential Infill Proposal # 1: Accessory Apartments
Revise the citys accessoryapartment regulations to make it easier to have
accessoryapartments on owner-occupied single family properties
For garages, carriage houses and other accessory structures built prior to 1975,allow accessory units in existing structures that are closer to property boundariesthan homes.
For all other detached accessory dwelling units, allow structures to be locatedwithin 10 of the front and rear property line by right. In URC, allow this to bereduced to a minimum of 4 by Special Permit
Allow conversion of a detached accessory structure into an accessory apartmentby-right rather than requiring a Special Permit.
Allow the entrance to an accessory apartment to be located in the front of thebuilding (in addition to the side or rear) in URA, URB and URC.
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Residential Infill Proposal #2: Innovative Housing
Amend the citys Planned Development regulations to allow for innovative
housingand adaptive reuse of obsolete structures by Special Permit
Develop zoning provisions to allow for Cottage or Pocket Housing. For example,some possibilities for Cottage Homes zoning could include:
Allowing more than one principal structure on a lot
Limiting size of cottage home units
Allowing single family or duplex structures
Allowing shared open space and parking
Adaptive Reuse: Allow conversion of a non-residential buildings to residential
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Residential Infill Proposal #3: Small Scale Infill
Amend dimensional standards in the urban residential districts to
preserve and promote traditional urban neighborhoods, and allowsmall-scale infill & flexible conversion of homes.
Approach: Revise standards to allow for infill within existing lots, but preventsplitting of small lots into even smaller lots, which would result in more new
construction and a sense of less
open space
in these neighborhoods.
1-4 family homes in URC, 1-3 family homes in URB, 1-2 family homes in URA
Remove the link between the number of units and lot size, allowing flexibleconversion of homes in allowed ranges
Set minimum lot size and frontage requirements to minimize splitting of lots
Simplify requirements and use a more form-based approach in whichrequirements are set to promote a traditional urban form and do not vary bynumber of units
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Dimensional Averaging
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Residential Infill Proposal #3: Small Scale Infill in URC
Medium term: Consider parking permits and parking requirement reductions, withprovisions for snow emergency parking See memo to Parking Committee
Proposed standards based on traditional neighborhood design and assessment ofexisting conditions, e.g lot size proposal based on existing lots in URC: 70% percent of
properties have lot sizes of 3,750 and above.
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Residential Infill Proposal #3: Small Scale Infill in URB
Lot size proposal based on existing lots in URB: 50% percent of existing 2-familyproperties have lot sizes of 4,400 and above
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Residential Infill Proposal #3: Small Scale Infill in URA
Lot Size based on existing lots in URA: 76% percent of existing 1-family properties havelot sizes of 10,000 sq. ft. and above.
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Residential Infill Proposal #4: Design Standards
Establishgeneral design standards thatapply onlyto larger projects
Urban residential districts: Design standards with Administrative Site PlanReview to apply to all new construction or additions that expand the footprint ofa structure by over 700 square feet
Design standards should be general (no detailed architectural standards),addressing building massing and relationship to the street / neighbors
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Residential Infill Proposal #4: Design Standards
Establishgeneral design standards thatapply onlyto larger projects
Design and other standards to address:
New structures should not interfere with solar access of neighboring structures
Where Special Permit required, buildings should 1) be oriented towards the street
(with some exceptions) and 2) demonstrate
fit
with existing neighborhood Tree preservation and replacement, and front yard shade tree standards
Relief from dimensional standards by Planning Board Site Plan Review
More detailed design standards for townhomes and larger developments
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Residential Infill Proposal #5: Design Guidebook
Develop a Design Guidebook with more detailed (non-binding) design
guidelines (See details in the final report)
Residential Infill Proposal #6:
Make Zoning Easier to Understand__________________________________________________
Provide Guidance and Make Improvements that Make ZoningEasier toUnderstand (See details in the final report)
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KEY LONG-TERMRECOMMENDATION
Invest in a comprehensive effort to restructure and rewrite theentire zoning code.
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Questions?
Thank you for giving us the opportunity to serve our community!
Sincerely,
The Zoning Revisions Committee:
Dennis BidwellStephen Gilson
Danielle McKahn
Peter McLean
Jim Nash
Bob ReckmanDillon Sussman
Tom Weiner