Division into districts

• 4.1 District boundaries. The boundaries of said zoning use districts are hereby established as shown on the town zoning map which is adopted as part of this ordinance and which is on file with the office of the town clerk and the building inspector.

  • 4.1.1 Residential districts.

Residence 10 (R-10) formerly residence AA.

Residence 8 (R-8) formerly residence A.

Residence 7.5 (R-7.5) formerly residence B.

Residence 6 (R-6) formerly residence C.

• • 4.1.2 Nonresidential districts.

Business (B) formerly business D.

Commercial industrial (CI) formerly industrial E.

Business park (BP).

• 4.2 Split lots. Wherever a district boundary splits a lot into two or more separate zoning districts, a prospective use may be processed only if it is listed in the table of uses for the district. The dimensional requirements for such use shall be determined by the district in which it is located. Where a proposed use is permitted in two or more districts on the same lot, the dimensional requirements, other than density, shall be determined by the district's dimensional regulations which contains the most usable lot area. For density requirements, all portions of the lot shall be calculated proportionately, by usable lot area within each district.

• 4.3 Interpretation. Where, due to the scale, lack of detail or illegibility of the zoning map of the town of West Warwick, it shall be determined that the boundary lines of districts are lot lines, centerlines of streets or such lines extended, railroad right-of-way lines, or the centerlines of watercourses. Interpretations concerning the text of this ordinance and the exact location of district boundary lines as shown on the zoning map shall be made by the building inspector. Any person aggrieved by such interpretation of the building inspector may appeal such interpretation to the zoning board of review.

• 4.4 Zoning affects every structure and use. No structure shall be constructed, erected, placed, moved or maintained nor shall the exterior be altered, and no land use shall be commenced or continued within the town unless in conforming with the regulations wherein specified for the district in which it is located, except as provided for in sections 7 and 8 herein.

• 4.6 Area requirements dedicated. No part of a lot, yard, parking space, or other dimension required for any building or use for the purposes of complying with the provisions of this ordinance shall be included as part of a lot, yard, parking space, or other dimension required under this ordinance for another use or building except as provided in section 5.9.8, joint use.

• 4.7 Only one dwelling on any lot. In no case shall there be more than one dwelling and its accessory buildings on one lot, except that (1) a detached residential living unit is allowed and (2) two-family and/or multiple-family developments may permit more than one residential structure per lot in conformity with this ordinance.

• 4.9 Street access. No structure shall be erected on or moved onto a lot which does not have frontage equal to or greater than the required minimum frontage as required in this ordinance, for the district in which it is located except as permitted in subsections 7 and 8.

• 4.10 Corner visibility. Within any required front or corner side yard on any corner lot or any driveway or curb cut, no wall, fence, sign, hedge, shrub or other obstruction to visibility shall be permitted between the heights of 2½ and ten feet above the existing street grade within an area 50 feet long and five feet wide measured along the street line and in either direction from such intersection or driveway or curb cut.

• 4.11 Temporary uses permitted. A temporary building or yard for construction materials and/or equipment, a temporary office for the sale or rental of real property, if in connection with an incidental and necessary to a real estate development, and a temporary trailer used for residential occupancy necessitated by any loss or damage of a principal structure by fire, or natural disaster shall be permitted in any district subject to approval by the building inspector; provided that any building permit for any such temporary use shall be valid for not more than six months unless such time period is extended by the building inspector. All other temporary and/or mobile facilities for residential, commercial or industrial use are prohibited in any district; provided, however, that this prohibition shall not apply to such temporary and/or mobile facilities which are owned and/or operated by federal, state, or municipal agencies or by any hospital, school, charitable, nonprofit, or religious institution.

• 4.12 Reserved.

• 4.13 Overlay district regulations, hotel/motel, multi-family, transient and office business category.

  • 4.13.1 Intent. The overlay district is established to provide for additional uses now prohibited in the commercial/industrial zone, while maintaining all the dimensional and other requirements associated with the underlying commercial/industrial zone.

  • 4.13.2 Establishment of the district. The hotel/motel, multi-family and business overlay district is hereby established for the following parcels with the current commercial/industrial zone lying south of 1-95: Assessor's Plat 30, Lots 1,7, 13, 14, 15, 18, 22, 32, 34, 36, 39, 41.

  • 4.13.3 Permitted uses. All uses permitted in the underlying Cl district remain permitted, but in addition pursuant to the existing zoning ordinance, the following uses are permitted:

    • 4.13.3.1 Office business category.

    • 4.13.3.2 Other business uses (hotel/motel, transient).

    • 4.13.3.3 Residential uses (multi-family dwellings).

  • 4.13.4 Qualifier. In the case of conflict among regulations, the stricter standards shall apply.

(Ord. No. 2024-5, 6-18-2024; Ord. No. 2024-18, 10-15-2024)