Multifamily
(a) Purpose and intent. A multifamily residential district is intended to promote the orderly development of multifamily dwellings in appropriate locations and to promote suitable placement of buildings and related facilities in relation to the site and surrounding areas. It is further intended to require adequate open space, living space and recreation areas; to avoid overcrowding of land; to encourage good design, avoid overburdening town services and facilities; and to ensure compatibility of multifamily dwellings with the immediate neighborhood and with the natural environment.
(b) General requirements. General requirements for multifamily districts are as follows:
(1) A multifamily dwelling project shall be located on a single lot and shall be planned, developed and managed as a unit, with required open spaces, recreation areas, off-street parking and accessory uses designed as a part of the entire project.
(2) All structures, facilities and accessory uses which are part of a multifamily dwelling project shall be for the exclusive use of residents of the project and the residents' guests.
(3) No building shall be erected in a multifamily district until a site plan has been approved by the planning commission. All multifamily proposals shall be brought before the planning commission in accordance with the procedures established by the subdivision regulations. The site plan shall be approved by the planning commission and recorded in the office of the town clerk prior to the issuance of any building permit.
(4) For each multifamily dwelling project, the developer shall be required to provide recreational facilities for the use of the residents. These facilities shall be shown on the site plan and are subject to approval by the planning commission.
(5) Any change in an approved site plan in a multifamily district must be approved by the planning commission and recorded in the office of the town clerk prior to the issuance of a building permit or a certificate of occupancy.
(c) Permitted uses. Permitted uses are as follows:
(1) Townhouses.
(2) Two-family dwellings.
(3) Multifamily dwellings.
(4) Public or private park, conservation or recreation area.
(5) Municipal facility.
(6) Accessory uses, which are as follows:
a. Laundry facilities.
b. Storage facilities.
c. Recreation facilities.
d. Day care center.
e. Nursery school.
(d) Minimum requirements. Minimum requirements are as follows:
(1) The maximum density for multifamily dwellings shall not exceed one dwelling unit for each 15,000 square feet of land area; provided, however, for those properties served by a public sewer system that are connected to and utilize the sewer treatment plant of the Quonset Business Park (QBP), (the Quonset Point Sewer System), the maximum density for multifamily dwellings containing no more than one dwelling unit for each 2,500 square feet of suitable land for development; provided, however, for those properties served by a public sewer system that are connected to and utilize the Quonset Point Sewer System, the maximum density for the multifamily dwelling containing more than one bedroom shall not exceed one dwelling unit for each 15,000 square feet of land area unless a special use permit is obtained from the zoning board of review. For the purpose of determining suitable land for development for the computation of the maximum number of dwelling units for land served by the Quonset Point Sewer System, flood plains and freshwater wetlands shall be excluded, however, any area within 50 feet of the edge of a bog, marsh, swamp or pond shall be included within such calculation notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein. In order to preserve and maintain structures of historic significance, however, the allowable density in the conversion of existing nondwelling use structures entered on or considered eligible for the state or national register of historic places, as determined by the state Historic Preservation Commission, may be calculated upon floor area. Density calculated upon floor area shall not exceed one dwelling unit for each 1,250 square feet of floor area, and shall be based only upon nondwelling use structures in place on the first day of January, 1983. No such additional density shall apply to new construction, and all conversion shall conform with the U.S. Secretary of the Interior's standards for historic rehabilitation.
(2) District dimensions are as follows:
Lot Area Frontage Maximum Lot
Coverage by
StructuresYards 5 acres 300 feet 20% 65 feet
(3) There shall be a landscaped buffer strip at least ten feet in width along all side and rear lot lines.
(4) At least ten percent of the total lot area, exclusive of driveways, parking and loading areas, shall be designated as usable open space for the benefit of the residents of the development. The site plan shall include suitable plans for the use of this open space. Water areas, wetland, area with slopes of more than 15 percent, and easement areas may be used to satisfy the usable open space requirement if permitted by the planning commission, but in no case shall more than 25 percent of such areas be counted as satisfying the minimum open spaces requirement.
(5) Parking areas shall be conveniently located, adequately lighted and landscaped.
(6) Driveways shall be designated for safe ingress and egress and shall be adequately lighted.
(7) No multifamily dwelling shall be more than three stories of livable area with additional allowance for the roof structure, which may house mechanical appurtenances.
(e) Criteria for planning commission approval. Before approving a site plan in a multifamily district, the planning commission shall determine that:
(1) Sewage and waste disposal will be adequately handled by either a municipal sewer system or an adequate on-site sewage system;
(2) Public water is or will be available to and adequate for the proposed development;
(3) The size and scale of the proposed development is harmonious with the development and proposed development of adjacent and nearby areas and will not disrupt the neighborhood or the privacy of abutting landowners by excessive noise, light or glare;
(4) The traffic which will be generated by the proposed development will be adequately provided for and will not cause undue congestion or introduce a traffic hazard to the circulation pattern of the area;
(5) The proposed development will not cause an undue burden on town facilities or services; and
(6) The recreational facilities to be developed as part of the project are conveniently located and are appropriate for the types of dwelling units which are proposed.
(Rev. Ords. 1974, § 17-2-4; Ord. No. 83-4, § 1, 3-14-1983; Ord. No. 02-7, § 1, 7-8-2002; Ord. No. 11-01, § 1, 1-10-2011)