Purposes

The purposes of this article are to achieve the following Comprehensive Plan goals:

A. Increase diversity of housing types in Barrington, with dwelling units that meet the needs of residents at varying life stages, recognizing that single-family homes in traditional subdivisions may not meet the needs of all segments of the population, especially the senior population.
B. Meet the housing needs of households with a range of incomes, including 75% market rate and 25% housing affordable to those with low income (below 80% of area median income) or moderate income (80% to 120% of area median income).
C. Encourage a form of development that embraces the Town and neighbors and does not give the appearance of a stand-alone development or "gated community."
D. Promote the concept of a "garden suburb" in keeping with the character of Barrington, with a formal element at the core (village green, higher densities) and lower densities at the edges.
E. Provide housing that is accessible to people with disabilities.
F. Design common areas for people to meet and develop strong social ties.
G. Provide compact, sustainable development that preserves open space for recreation, hiking paths, community gardens, and other public uses.
H. Encourage walkable neighborhoods by providing sidewalks, hiking paths, and connections to shops and services, where feasible.
I. Facilitate public interaction along the street by including residential units with porches and covered stoops, as appropriate.
J. Minimize the emphasis of private vehicles by recessing garages back from the facade of the structure or providing utility access to garages on rear or side alleyways or driveways, where possible.
K. Retain existing buildings with historical or architectural features that define the visual character of the community; retain properties such as Belton Court, listed on the National Register of Historic Places; and retain monumental landscaping and features such as the existing cedar hedge and stonewall along Middle Highway.
L. Incorporate low-impact development principles into the design to reduce energy consumption for construction, operation, and maintenance, to reduce impermeable pavement, and encourage use of sustainable materials and energy sources.
M. Encourage access to multi-modal transit.
N. Provide a mix of uses for developments with more than 20 contiguous acres of upland, to assure convenient access by the residents of such developments to some of the goods and services needed for a diverse population.