ZRC Presentation Feb15 (2)
Rezoning Northampton for a Sustainable Future
The Zoning Revisions Committee (ZRC) Who We Are – A volunteer committee, appointed by the Planning Board – Formed to help implement “Sustainable Northampton” (the city’s comprehensive
master plan adopted in 2008) – Selected to represent a variety of viewpoints, expertise and neighborhoods
– Review current zoning & recommend revisions – Be a technical resource for the Planning Board – Provide a wide range of opportunities for public input to the zoning revision process
Rezoning Northampton for a Sustainable Future Our Charge: Get Sustainability into Zoning
Infill is a Key Issue Infill Rose to the Surface as a Critical Issue for Sustainability Infill is new construction or redevelopment that 'fills in' empty lots or adds units or uses
in areas that are already developed Infill is an important tool for concentrating development in walkable neighborhoods, rather than sprawling into undeveloped areas Infill is the
historic pattern of development in Northampton Parking Lots
Flavors of Infill – Adding Units Within Existing Homes House 030.jpg BEFORE: 2-UNITS AFTER: 3-UNITS ATTIC CONVERSION = “INVISIBLE INFILL”
Flavors of Infill – Converting Outbuildings to New Units CARRIAGE HOUSE CONVERSION, BUTLER PLACE
Flavors of Infill – Converting Garages to New Units BEFORE AFTER
Flavors of Infill – Building Additions BRIDGE STREET & POMEROY TERRACE
Flavors of Infill – Filling Gaps in the Street How should this gap in Walnut Street be filled? ? ?
Infill and Sustainability Environment – Reduces the need for new infrastructure, and reduces driving – Can be more energy efficient and lower carbon emissions – Is less damaging to natural
systems than “greenfield” development Economy – Increases walking to businesses, supporting more commercial real estate and local jobs – Makes public transit more viable Equity – Provides
a wide range of housing types and work spaces that meet peoples’ needs To Meet the Goals of Sustainable Northampton: – Traditional neighborhoods, village, and mixed-use commercial centers
will need to accommodate additional units (infill) – But, it must be designed in a way that respects its surroundings and creates a "sense of place"
Forum #1: What We Learned General support for infill and mixed-use development in commercial and residential districts, especially in existing neighborhoods within walking distance to
businesses and green spaces, because infill… Makes the city more sustainable Encourages economic development Provides affordable units for renters and income for owners Makes
neighborhoods more walkable Support for infill as long as it is compatible with neighborhoods, including: Scale Design Traffic
Forum #2: Why We’re Here After Forum #1: We considered how to create more flexible regulations that… -Allow for a greater mix of uses -Allow some new residential units and new options
like cottage housing -Ensure that this happens in a way that is compatible with our neighborhoods We Need Community Feedback On: -Topic #1: Home Business Proposed approach to regulate
home occupations in a simple, flexible way that ensures that business uses will be compatible with residential neighborhoods -Topic #2: Dimensional Standards for Infill Possible approaches
to allowing for a greater variety of residential developments -Topic #3: Residential Design Standards Design standards we should have for residential development, and what types of projects
they should apply to
Simplify Home Business Permitting What We Heard About Mixed-Uses (Forum #1) -Should be allowed in commercial and residential areas… -Provided that it is in scale and compatible with
surrounding uses What We Did -Worked on zoning to allow more uses in commercial districts -Now working on more mixed-use in residential neighborhoods The key step is revising “Home
Occupation” provisions. We’re proposing replacing them with what we call “Home Business.”
Simplify Home Business Permitting Overview of Current Regulations A home occupation does not require Special Permit only if: – No clients or customers are seen on site – There is no
sign for the business – There are no sales of goods from the premises – You don’t meet or work with other people in your house If home business activity doesn’t fit this narrow definition,
then a Special Permit is required to allow a small sign, sale of goods from the home, or one other person to work with you
Simplify Home Business Permitting Goal Allow many types of home business by right, but minimize impacts on neighborhood Allow current illegal home businesses to operate legally Strategies
Regulate auto traffic instead of clients and customers seen Don’t distinguish between types of visits (by client, employee, delivery person, contractor, etc.)
Simplify Home Business Permitting Proposed Home Businesses Changes Allowed Without Special Permit No more than 5 automobile round trips per day can be generated by the business A
one square foot sign, attached to building and not lighted, is allowed Home made goods can be sold from the premises Up to two “open studios” to sell home made goods permitted per
year Special Permit Required If the Home Business… Generates more than 5 automobile round trips per day Holds more than 2 open studio functions per year Stores materials outdoors
(as long as not visible from street or adjacent properties)
Simplify Home Business Permitting Benefits for Sustainability Supports… Infill and uses existing structures for multiple purposes Entrepreneurship, and lowers barriers to small business
Equity -applies to all kinds of work equally (professional services, home made goods, etc.) Reduces… Traffic and use of nonrenewable resources – Note: A recent report states that
telecommuting opportunities have increased 400% in the last three years Cost of doing business in Northampton Regulations -fewer special permits required
Simplify Home Business Permitting We Need Your Feedback Does 5 automobile round trips per day seem reasonable? Should we allow any outdoor storage? What didn't we think of? Does
the proposed zoning meet the goals of the Sustainability Plan?
Dimensional Standards in Urban Residential Zones What Are Dimensional Standards? – Regulations that govern development, e.g. location of buildings on a lot – Standards are different
for each zone and use – examples include minimum… • Lot sizes • Setbacks, or distance between a building and the property line • Frontage, or length of property line along the street
• Percentage open space What We Heard at Public Forum #1: – General support for infill development within walking distance of stores, offices, jobs, parks, bike paths, etc. – Preference
for small projects over big ones (i.e. filling gaps in the street, adding units to existing houses and accessory buildings, converting large houses) – Design is important (covered later)
– Traffic and infrastructure are concerns – Infill should not disproportionately affect one area of the city
Dimensional Standards in Urban Residential Zones What We Did: -Identified Dimensional Standards as key barrier to infill development in existing neighborhoods -Studied current neighborhood
dimensions in depth -Researched innovative housing development types and zoning changes being made in other cities to allow for more innovative developments -Developed proposals for
changing dimensional standards
Dimensional Standards in Urban Residential Zones Sustainability Benefits of Dimensional Standards Changes to Allow Infill Environment: More people live in walking distance to goods
and services = less driving Economy: More residents to support nearby businesses, both existing and new – (and more businesses nearby will make neighborhoods even more walkable)
Rental income for property owners More disposable income due to lower car expenses (more walking = less driving) Equity: More variety of in-town housing = more people can afford
to live here Current regulations make in-town properties non-conforming*, placing extra burdens on intown property owners *Non-Conforming refers to a property that is used or structures
that are built in a way that is not permitted by the zoning for the property. The use is “grandfathered”, or permitted to continue, because the land was being used in such a fashion
before the zoning law was passed.
Zoning Out Traditional Neighborhoods What percentage of homes in our urban neighborhoods do not conform to current minimum lot size zoning regulations?* URC -63% of 1-3 family homes
do not conform -83% of 4 family homes do not conform URB -32% of 1 family homes do not conform -62% of 2 family homes do not conform -82% of 3 family homes do not conform URA -35% of
1 family homes do not conform -100% of 2 family and multiple-family homes do not conform (they are not allowed) *This analysis looked only at conformance with lot size requirements.
An analysis of properties that also meet minimum setback, frontage and other requirements would yield even higher rates of non-conformance Takeaway: -Zoning doesn’t match our existing
neighborhoods -We have great urban neighborhoods that can never be built again!
Zoning Out Traditional Neighborhoods Example: Walnut Street – Properties that Do Not Conform to their Zoning (by lot size) 84% could not be built on these lots today! 84% Example: Elizabeth
Street – This 2-Family Home Could Not be Built Today ― Lot Size: 5,183 Square Feet ― Today, would need 12,000 SF to build this home ― Would need 8,000 SF to even build a single family
home
Innovative Infill Housing NOT Allowed COTTAGE & POCKET HOUSING
Adaptive Reuse Infill Housing NOT Allowed ADAPTIVE REUSE OF OBSOLETE BUILDINGS Allowed Downtown, but…. Not allowed in Leeds…
Dimensional Standards in Urban Residential Zones Summary: Problems with The Current Zoning The current dimensional regulations are designed to DECREASE the density of existing neighborhoods,
while the sustainability plan says to INCREASE density -and that was confirmed in our last public meeting on infill Innovative housing types, especially where people have smaller homes
with shared yards (e.g. cottage housing), are not allowed Adaptive reuse of obsolete structures like old churches and schools for housing is not possible in our neighborhoods
Dimensional Standards in Urban Residential Zones Proposed Changes We have developed three possible methods for fixing the dimensional standards: 1. Fix the standards in the dimensional
tables to bring them closer to what currently exists in the neighborhoods That means changing the numbers for lot sizes, setback distances, frontages, etc. 2. Replace the dimensional
tables with “performance-based” requirements 3. Don’t change the dimensional standards (yet) Instead, create a special permit for infill (Note: Any of these solutions can be paired with
Design Standards -discussed later)
Existing Zoning: URB 2-family Minimum Lot: 12,000 SF Example Zoning Change: URB 2-family Smaller frontage, setbacks and lot size Minimum Lot: 8,000 SF
Existing Zoning: URB 1-family Minimum Lot: 8,000 SF Example Zoning Change: URB 1-family Smaller frontage, setbacks and lot size Minimum Lot: 6,000 SF
Infill and Innovative Dvpts in Neighborhoods Performance-Based Zoning Approach This approach does not regulate number of units per lot area If you meet setback, parking and open space
requirements, you can build your project Also provides an easy approach to allow for innovative developments like cottage housing without requiring a special permit.
Dimensional Standards in Urban Residential Zones Brings our traditional neighborhoods into greater conformance with our zoning regulations, and allows good neighborhoods to be reproduced
Allows flexible reuse of existing buildings and properties in face of changing household sizes and needs More people in neighborhoods makes a community more vibrant and increases
safety through more “eyes on the street” Residents of neighborhoods where you can walk to services and jobs drive less, but there are more total drivers New construction can be beautiful
and add to the “sense of place” of the neighborhood, but sometimes neighbors don’t like the way a particular project looks (design is discussed later) Reduces the need for expensive
new infrastructure, but also increases use of existing infrastructure Considerations: Changing the Dimensional Standards to Allow Infill
Dimensional Standards in Urban Residential Zones Where We Need Your Feedback: Do you support any of the methods we have proposed? – Fix the dimensional tables to match our existing
neighborhoods e.g. reduce lot size, frontage, setbacks. Keeps the basic structure and allows new units if the development meets minimum lot size and other requirements – Replace the
dimensional tables with performance-based standards Allows new units no matter what lot size exists, as long as you can meet setback, parking, open space (and design) regulations – Create
a special permit for infill Only allow new units on a case-by-case basis through Planning Board special permit Could be used to test above methods What are your concerns? How can we
address these concerns to make one of these methods or another strategy work for you?
What are design standards? Design standards are regulations that can govern how development should look Examples include how buildings should be sited and configured on a lot, how tall
and how bulky the structure should be, and what architectural details should be present How do design standards work? -Development plans are reviewed based on whether they meet the design
standards -For example, all plans in the Central Business zoning district are reviewed for compliance with the city’s Design Guidelines for the district Sustainability Goal: Promote
design that fits into neighborhoods so that new development makes the city a better place. Residential Design Standards
Forum #1: What We Learned Design is important! The zoning should encourage infill that…. – Is in scale and architectural character with its surroundings – Has a similar relationship
to the street as neighboring structures Residents more likely to accept infill if there is assurance through design standards that it will fit in with their neighborhood House 030.jpg
Possible Zoning Solutions: Apply design standards to… – All development in neighborhoods – Developments over a certain size, e.g. projects that renovate or add more than 700 square feet
– Only to new buildings – Only to infill that requires a special permit (only to new buildings, additions or units not currently allowed by right ) Create standards that are… – Detailed
and specific e.g. require specific architectural details – General and less specific, evaluating general “fit” with the neighborhood e.g. based on existing conditions on that block Residential
Design Standards
Springfield, Massachusetts Residential Design Guidelines Site layout, materials, architectural detailing and other characteristics Knoxville, Tennessee Infill Housing Design Guidelines
Site layout, parking, materials, building scale, porches, roof shapes, landscaping, etc. Examples of Residential Design Standards
List of Possible Items Covered by Design Standards: – Splitting large lots into two narrower lots – Building and front façade height – Setbacks – Size and front setbacks for porches
–Location of front door and walkway to street – Size and position of windows – Location of garage or parking area – Roof shape Residential Design Standards –Location and height of additions
– Design of multi-unit buildings /townhomes – Standards for modern architecture homes
We Need Community Feedback On…. Would you be comfortable with regulations on the design of projects in your neighborhood and on your property? What kinds or what scale of projects should
design standards apply to? (e.g. all projects, projects of a certain size, only infill special permit projects, other ideas?) How detailed should the design standards be? Should they
require specific details OR evaluate general “fit” with the neighborhood? Should they allow only traditional architectural styles OR encourage modern architecture too? Should they be
the same for the whole city OR based on other homes in each neighborhood? Residential Design Standards