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City of Warwick
City of Warwick Zoning Ordinance
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§ 301

Districts

For the purpose of this ordinance, the City of Warwick is hereby divided into thirteen classes of districts, listed and designated on the "zoning map" as follows:

Open Space District (OS)

Residence A-40 District (A-40)

Residence A-15 District (A-15)

Residence A-10 District (A-10)

Residence A-7 District (A-7)

Office District (O)

Waterfront Business District (WB)

General Business District (GB)

Light Industrial District (LI)

General Industrial District (GI)

City Centre Warwick Intermodal District (Intermodal)

City Centre Warwick Gateway District (Gateway)

Village District (V)

The general intent and purposes of the zoning districts are as follows: Table 1 contains the use regulations for each district; table 2A contains the dimensional regulations for residence districts and table 2B contains the dimensional regulations for nonresidential districts.

This zoning ordinance provides a listing of all land uses and/or performance standards for uses that are permitted within the zoning use districts of the municipality. Any use not specifically listed may be presented by the property owner to the zoning board of review or building official for an evaluation and determination of whether the proposed use is of a similar type, character, and intensity as a listed permitted use. Upon such determination, the proposed use may be considered to be a permitted use.

301.1. Open space district (OS). Properties mapped in accordance with subsection 303 of this ordinance for the purposes of maintaining open space, recreation, agriculture, conservation of natural resources, or other environmental conditions.

301.2. Residence A-40 district (A-40). Properties mapped in accordance with subsection 303 of this ordinance and used for very low density residential use, comprising not more than one single-family dwelling unit per lot area measuring a minimum of 40,000 square feet.

301.3. Residence A-15 district (A-15). Properties mapped in accordance with subsection 303 of this ordinance and used for low density residential use, comprising not more than one single-family dwelling unit per lot area measuring a minimum of 15,000 square feet.

301.4. Residence A-10 district (A-10). Properties mapped in accordance with subsection 303 of this ordinance and used for medium density residential use, comprising not more than one single-family dwelling unit per lot area measuring a minimum of 10,000 square feet.

301.5. Residence A-7 district (A-7). Properties mapped in accordance with subsection 303 of this ordinance and used for high density residential use, comprising not more than one single-family dwelling unit per lot area measuring a minimum of 7,000 square feet.

301.6. Office district (O). Properties mapped in accordance with subsection 303 of this ordinance and used primarily for professional and personal service offices, and low intensity businesses, which generally serve as a transition between residential and other nonresidential districts. The preservation of residential structures or the construction of new offices that are residential in character is encouraged to the extent possible and where appropriate.

301.7. Waterfront business district (WB). Properties mapped in accordance with subsection 303 of this ordinance used primarily for businesses catering to marine activities.

301.8. General business district (GB). Properties mapped in accordance with subsection 303 of this ordinance and generally used for a wide diversity of commercial establishments including retail, service, office, and automotive related uses.

301.9. Light industrial district (LI). Properties mapped in accordance with subsection 303 of this ordinance and used for limited or light industrial purposes generally of a less intensive nature than those allowed in the general industrial district.

301.10. General industrial district (GI). Properties mapped in accordance with subsection 303 of this ordinance and used for general industrial and manufacturing operations and enterprises, including assembly of durable goods, bulk storage, and general storage of trucks and construction equipment; provided however that such uses do not create serious problems of compatibility with other land uses and that they do not pose unwarranted toxic, explosive or environmental hazard in the general vicinity.

301.11. City Centre Warwick (CCW). The City Centre Warwick shall consist of that area presented in the City Centre Warwick Master Plan and Warwick Comprehensive Community Plan. The Development District shall consist of two distinct zoning districts; the Intermodal District as defined in section 301.11 A of this ordinance and the Gateway District as defined in subsection 301.11 B of this ordinance, and as illustrated on the Warwick Zoning Ordinance Map. Warwick Planning Department and Planning Board are hereby authorized to carry out the purposes of the City Centre Warwick.

All development within the Development District shall be reviewed and approved by the Warwick Planning Department and/or Warwick Planning Board as a Land Development Project as defined in subsection 200.87 entitled Land Development Project and in accordance with the City of Warwick Land Development and Subdivision Review Regulations. The Planning Department and planning board shall also provide assistance to property owners and the city including the city council, zoning board of review and other agencies on planning issues within the WSDD CCW related to design and site planning and on related issues as it deems appropriate, including the design of public improvements such as street rehabilitation, paving, lighting, sidewalks, curbing and drainage.

301.11A.  City Centre Warwick Intermodal District (Intermodal). Properties mapped in accordance with subsection 303 of this ordinance and which are intended to capitalize on the opportunities resulting from their location in proximity to the Intermodal facility and the Airport terminal, including appropriate complementary uses, pedestrian and vehicular circulation and parking needs, access issues, traffic flow and congestion, lot coverage and height restrictions. The intent of the Intermodal District is to create and sustain an area of regional economic activity consisting of retail, commercial, office and residential uses located on a circulation access spine linking transportation nodes. This area is the core commercial activity area within City Centre Warwick. It is intended that this zone have a high quality of design for pedestrian use, infrastructure improvements that will enable a flow of users between different transportation nodes and an appropriate density of associated retail, office, residential and hotel uses.

301.11B. City Centre Warwick Gateway District (Gateway). Properties mapped in accordance with subsection 303 of this ordinance and which are intended to serve as transitional areas leading to the Intermodal District of the City Centre Warwick Development District from outlying areas, including the Post Road and Airport Road general business districts. The Gateway District is intended to allow limited commercial uses customarily associated with transportation facilities as well as general commercial uses commonly allowed within general business districts. It is intended that this zone have a high quality of design associated with vehicular circulation and appropriate landscaping and architectural design intended to create a separate identity and a cohesive appearance distinguishable from the outlying areas.

301.12 Reserved.

301.13 Village district (V). Properties mapped in accordance with subsection 303 of this ordinance and used for a mixed-use district that provides services useful to citizens within the District and surrounding residential areas, reduces the need for residents to travel outside of the district for basic products and services, increases pedestrian activity within the village center, revitalizes the economic life and improves the appearance of properties within the central village.

Specific components of this purpose include:

    • A. To provide residential units in the village center to meet a variety of housing needs, and provide a customer base to support local businesses.

    • B. To create live/work opportunities for professionals, artists, crafts persons and business owners.

    • C. To develop dimensional and building design regulations that create a sense of community center and are in scale with the adjacent neighborhoods.

    • D. To encourage commercial uses on the first floor of buildings.

(Ord. No. O-98-44, § I(Exh. A), 12-14-98; Ord. No. O-11-18, § I, 10-20-11; Ord. No. O-12-6, § I(Exh. A), 1-19-12; Ord. No. O-23-24, § I, 12-20-23)