Uses and zones

[3-14-2016 by Ord. No. 849; 12-11-2023 by Ord. No. 920-B]

• A. The following uses shall be allowed as outright permitted uses and shall be allowed in all zones unless otherwise indicated:
  • (1) Off-street parking.
  • (2) Signs (as provided for in Article VII).
  • (3) Notwithstanding any other provisions of this chapter, the following uses are permitted uses within all residential zoning use districts of a municipality and all industrial and commercial zoning use districts except where residential use is prohibited for public health or safety reasons:
    • (a) Households.
    • (b) Community residences.
    • (c) Family day-care homes.
  • (4) Any time a building or other structure used for residential purposes or a portion of a building containing residential unit is rendered uninhabitable by virtue of a casualty such as fire or flood, the owner of the property is allowed to park, temporarily, mobile and manufactured home or homes, as the need may be, elsewhere upon the land for use and occupancy of the former occupants for a period of up to 12 months, or until the building or structure is rehabilitated and otherwise made fit for occupancy. The property owner, or a properly designated agent of the owner, is only allowed to cause the mobile and manufactured home or homes to remain temporarily upon the land by making timely application to the local Building Official for the purposes of obtaining the necessary permits to repair or rebuild the structure.
  • (5) Notwithstanding any other provisions of this chapter, appropriate access for people with disabilities to residential structures is allowed as a reasonable accommodation for any person(s) residing, or intending to reside, in the residential structure.
  • (6) Notwithstanding any other provisions of this chapter, an accessory family dwelling unit in an owner-occupied, single-family residence shall be permitted as a reasonable accommodation only for family members with disabilities. The appearance of the structure shall remain that of a single-family residence, and there shall be an internal means of egress between the principal unit and the accessory family dwelling unit. If possible, no additional exterior entrances should be added. Where additional entrance is required, placement should generally be in the rear or side of the structure. When the structure is serviced by an individual sewage disposal system, the applicant shall have the existing or any new system approved by the Department of Environmental Management. The Zoning Enforcement Officer shall require that a declaration of the accessory family dwelling unit for the family member or members and its restrictions be recorded in the land evidence records and filed with the Zoning Enforcement Officer and the Building Official. Once the family member or members with disabilities no longer resides in the premises on a permanent basis or the title is transferred, the property owner shall notify the Zoning Official in writing, and the accessory family dwelling unit shall no longer be permitted, unless there is a subsequent valid application.
  • (7) When used in this section, the terms "people with disabilities" or "member or members with disabilities" means a person(s) who has a physical or mental impairment which substantially limits one or more major life activities, as defined in R.I.G.L. § 34-37-3.
  • (8) Notwithstanding any other provisions of this chapter, plant agriculture is a permitted use within all zoning districts, including all industrial and commercial zoning districts, except where prohibited for public health or safety reasons or the protection of wildlife habitat.
• B. The following uses shall be permitted as accessory uses in all zones and within the provisions of this chapter unless otherwise indicated:
  • (1) The keeping of household pets, as defined in § 260-6, for enjoyment associated with residential uses or animals kept for educational purposes (as with a museum, learning center, environmental facility, etc.).
  • (2) Licensed family day-care in the home.
  • (3) A temporary sales or promotion office in connection with adjacent construction. Such office may be located in a trailer. For these purposes, "temporary" is considered to be one year. Renewal of this allowance shall be made by application to the Building Official and shall be granted in accordance with the original terms upon demonstrated need by the applicant.
  • (4) The storage of building materials and equipment incidental to on-site construction.
  • (5) The storage and/or parking of inspected, registered vehicles, owned or used by a person residing on the premises, which are physically capable of being operated on a public roadway.
  • (6) The storage and/or parking of a maximum of one inspected, commercially registered vehicle with a maximum capacity of two tons or gross vehicle weight of 10,000 pounds or less and which has no more than two axles, owned or used by a person residing on the premises, and which is physically capable of being operated on a public roadway. Storage of unregistered vehicles is not permitted.
  • (7) The parking and storage of major recreation equipment, which includes travel trailers, pickup campers or coaches, motorized dwellings, tent trailers, boats, boat trailers and similar equipment, but does not include mobile homes or storage trailers, in residential districts must comply with the following regulations:
    • (a) Not more than one travel trailer, pickup camper or coach, motorized dwelling, tent trailer or boat trailer may be parked or stored.
    • (b) Not more than one boat or other watercraft may be stored.
    • (c) No major recreation equipment, while parked or stored, shall be used for living, sleeping or housekeeping purposes.
    • (d) Storage of major recreation equipment must meet all setback requirements for the district therein located.
    • (e) No major recreation equipment shall be stored out of doors in residential districts unless it is in condition for safe and effective performance of the function for which it was intended.
• C. (Reserved)
• D. Table 1: Table of Permitted Uses by Zone.

  Editor's Note: Table 1, Table of Permitted Uses by Zone, is attached to this chapter.

• E. Table 2: Table of Dimensional Requirements by Zone.

  Editor's Note: Table 2, Table of Dimensional Requirements by Zone, is attached to this chapter.