Design and building requirements

A. Density.
- (1) Overall residential density shall be between six and eight units per acre of developable land.
- (2) Developable land shall exclude the following:
  - (a) Land within the state regulatory wetland setback;
  - (b) Land within the one-hundred-year floodplain;
  - (c) Land utilized for a commercial use such as an assisted-living facility and associated parking; and
  - (d) Approximately 4.5 acres within the Belton Court Historic Register District.
- (3) If the following performance standards are attained, a corresponding density bonus shall be available:
  - (a) Restoration of Belton Court and grounds associated with its historic use, including the central courtyard and front lawn between the building and Middle Highway and preservation of the mature vegetation in front of Belton Court along Middle Highway. The density bonus shall be that the acreage within the Belton Court Historic Register District shall be included in the developable land area.
  - (b) Provision, either on site or off site, of public open space and recreation of 500 square feet per unit, or 200 square feet more per unit required per § 185-226B below. The density bonus shall be that land utilized for commercial use, including associated parking, shall be included in the developable land area.
B. Open space/recreation.
- (1) Open space/recreation improvements shall be required. For each unit, 300 square feet of open space (in addition to wetlands/flood zone and other areas of constraint) shall be preserved and improved for the benefit of residents and shall be accessible to the general public.
- (2) Open space/recreation improvements shall be completed on site. Developers may request approval to meet a portion of the open space/recreation improvements requirement off site.
- (3) Improvements may include common open seating areas and landscaped parks, playground, community gardens and vegetable plots, hiking trails, or off-site improvements so designated at the discretion of the Planning Board at existing municipal recreation areas.
C. Public streets/streetscape.
- (1) New or repaired sidewalks shall be provided as necessary along any public street frontage, including Middle Highway.
- (2) The number of curb cuts shall be minimized.
- (3) Street trees shall be planted at regular intervals, consistent with the Town's Land Development and Subdivision Regulations, to define the street edge, buffer pedestrians from vehicles, and provide shade. Where feasible, trees shall be located in a planting strip between the curb and sidewalk.
  Editor's Note: See Ch. 200, Land Development and Subdivision Regulations.
- (4) Utilities shall be placed underground.
D. Internal private streets/streetscape.
- (1) Pedestrian-scale lighting shall be provided in surface parking lots and along all roadways.
- (2) "Dark Sky" cutoff lighting fixtures shall be required.
- (3) Streets, including internal driveways, shall be designed with sidewalks along at least one side of the roadway. Sidewalks on both sides of a street shall be provided in residential areas. Sidewalk width shall be at least five feet.
- (4) Continuous streets are preferred. Cul-de-sacs may be approved by the Planning Board if deemed necessary due to environmental constraints or other site-related factors.
  [Amended 12-4-2023 by Ord. No. 2023-12]
- (5) Off-street parking shall be provided according to Article XV or as otherwise approved by the Planning Board.
- (6) The provision of large parking areas shall be minimized. Small parking areas that are well integrated within the development are encouraged.
- (7) Parking shall not overwhelm spaces between buildings. Landscaping and public spaces shall be used to break up/soften parking lots where provided.
- (8) On-street, surface parking shall not be located within 30 feet of a corner.
- (9) Parking of any type shall not be located in the area between the Belton Court structures and Middle Highway.
- (10) Historic preservation. Belton Court, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and the associated historic grounds which shall be defined by the Planning Board, shall be preserved in a manner consistent with the Secretary of the Interior Standards for Historic Properties.
E. Building and unit design.
- (1) A diversity of senior housing types is encouraged. Residential units should include a mix of housing types, including single-family, townhouse, cottage, and multifamily units, where appropriate.
- (2) A range of building typologies is encouraged. Articulated facades and rooflines are preferred.
- (3) The ground floor of an assisted-living facility shall be articulated to relate well with the street (e.g. porches, colonnades, etc.).
- (4) Whenever possible, cottage designs shall incorporate porches or wide stoops with overhangs on the front of units to encourage interaction between residents and those walking along pedestrian paths and sidewalks.
F. Mixed uses/amenities.
- (1) A mixture of uses (e.g., assisted living, memory care, educational, retail, restaurant, senior services, personal services, or offices, etc.) shall be provided in addition to residential use, so as to encourage walkable neighborhoods and reduce vehicle miles traveled.
- (2) On-site amenities for residents (e.g., meeting space, medical office, coffee shop, hair salon, etc.) are encouraged. Such amenities may also be open to the public at the discretion of the developer.
G. Site planning.
- (1) On-site density of the development shall be carefully arranged to respect existing neighborhood conditions. Where the boundaries of the district abut existing neighborhoods, setbacks and height stepbacks should be compatible with the neighboring zoning district.
- (2) Transitions from high- to medium- to low-density shall be carefully designed to avoid abrupt changes in building heights and massing. This can be handled through articulation of the buildings and other strategies such as locating public open spaces to serve as transition zones.
- (3) Green building/sustainable principles shall be incorporated in site design as practicable.
- (4) Stormwater shall be managed in accordance with RIDEM low-impact design standards.
- (5) Native vegetation shall be retained and grading minimized wherever possible to maintain natural features of the site.
H. Maintenance responsibility. The owner(s) of the development(s) shall be responsible for maintenance, repair and liability for all facilities and infrastructure within the development. If there is more than one owner of a parcel, then a homeowner's association or condominium association shall be formed to maintain common areas such as parks, trails, lawns, and private roadways.