Supplementary lot and bulk regulations
(a) Number of structures. Except for designed multistructure developments, not more than one principal building shall be built or located on any single lot.
(b) Lot area requirements. No land area, yard, or other open space provided around any building for the purpose of complying with these regulations shall be included as part of the land area, yard, or open space required for any other building. No land area, yard, or other open space on one lot shall be considered as land area, yard, or open space for a building on any other lot.
No more than 25 percent of the minimum lot area required under this ordinance may be satisfied by land which is under water or a wetland.
Window sills, cornices, and other ornamental features may project one foot into a yard. The required landing, stairway or entrance porch for a dwelling may project into the required front yard the minimum dimensional regulation required by the state building code. Movable awnings may be exempted from front yard requirements, provided they are eight feet above pedestrian walkways.
Duplex dwellings, garden apartments, patio dwellings, and a shopping center shall be considered one building occupying one lot for purposes of side yard regulations.
If existing buildings located within the same block and zone, and on the same side of the street, are set back less than the minimum front yard depth prescribed in the Table of Dimensional Regulations in section 6.4 of this ordinance, then any building constructed on that lot may have a front yard depth which is equal to the average setback of the adjoining existing buildings.
(c) Sight distance on corner lots. On corner lots at street intersections, no fence, wall, structure, tree, shrubbery, or other obstruction higher than two feet shall be erected or maintained in the triangular area bounded by the two front lot lines and a third line which joins points lying 15 feet from the intersection on each lot line.
(d) Exceptions to height limitations. The maximum building height limitations of this ordinance shall not apply to church spires, flagpoles, chimneys, smokestacks, cupolas, water tanks, and solar energy collectors. The maximum building height for any lot located in the pier historic district, as delineated in the historic and scenic resources map (figure 11-1) of the Narragansett Comprehensive Plan, may be modified as follows: If existing buildings located within the same block and zone and on the same side of the street as a given lot, have an existing building height greater than those proposed in the table of dimensional regulations, then any building constructed on that lot may have a building height equal to the average height of the existing buildings within the area noted above. Church spires, flagpoles, chimneys, cupolas, and similar structures shall not be considered in the building height calculation of surrounding buildings.
(e) Exemptions for handicap access ramps. The minimum front yard, side yard or rear yard requirements in all zones under section 6.2 of this ordinance may be waived by the building inspection division upon a demonstration that waiver requested is least necessary to effect safe access for a handicapped occupant under the state building code.
(f) Fences and walls. The minimum front, side, and rear setbacks of this ordinance shall not apply to fences or walls that are installed for the purpose of delineating property bounds or to separate one area of a yard from another. All fences shall be constructed with the finished side facing outward and no property line wall or fence shall be more than seven feet in height. Walls installed for the purpose of retaining an existing or proposed area of higher grading shall not be allowed along the property boundary, but rather shall be set back a distance from the nearest lot line equal to or greater than the measurement of its highest elevation. All retaining walls exceeding four feet in height will require stamped drawings designed by a licensed engineer and a detailed landscape plan to visually buffer the view from neighboring properties. The building official may require stamped design drawings for walls of lesser height depending on soil conditions, anticipated loads and proposed wall construction methods or materials. Any drawing submitted by a licensed engineer shall be approved by the town engineer prior to issuance of a permit to fill and/or to construct on the property. Landscaping plans shall be approved by the community development director.
(g) Hardscape requirement. Any lot used for residential purposes that is less than 23,000 square feet in gross lot area shall comply with the hardscape requirements of the dimensional regulations of section 6.4(b). The area that makes up the difference between actual building coverage and the maximum permitted building coverage shall be maintained as softscape as defined herein, and available for future expansion, except, that it shall not be utilized for parking of vehicles.
(h) Front-yard softscape requirement. For any lot used for residential purposes, that is less than 23,000 square feet in gross lot area, a minimum of 52 percent of the area within the front-yard as determined by the zoning officer, shall be maintained as softscape as defined herein. For lots that are substandard in lot width, this requirement shall be reduced to 43 percent.
(Ch. 789, § 4, 9-20-1999; Ch. 811(1), § 1(7.6), 3-4-2002; Ch. 878, § 2, 7-3-2006; Ch. 1030, § 3, 10-17-2016; Ch. 1087, § 3, 6-21-2021; Ch. 1118, § 10, 12-18-2023)