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URC Moratorium Replacement Draft Aug 2014 Received in City Clerk’s Office Northampton, MA By ________________________________________ Date _______________________________________ Time _______________________________________ Ordinance Section__________________ File No. ________________________ Month ________________________ Re:___________________________ City of Northampton MASSACHUSETTS In the Year Two Thousand Fourteen UPON THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE Planning Board, Office of Planning & Sustainability ORDINANCE An Ordinance of the City of Northampton, Massachusetts, providing that the Code of Ordinances, City of Northampton, Massachusetts, be amended by revising section 350Hof said code; providing for replacement of moratorium on construction of 7+ units in the URC district with language specified Be it ordained by the City Council of the City of Northampton, in City Council assembled, as follows: 350h That section of the Code of Ordinances of the City of Northampton, Massachusetts, be amended so that such section shall read as follows: Site Plan Approval Required for the Following: • Any construction (other than for a single-family home) greater than 2,000 square feet • The addition of a principle structure to a parcel where one already exists. Special Permit Approval Required for the Following Uses by Planning Board Unless Otherwise Noted: • Detached accessory dwelling unit (see § 350-10.10—Zoning Board of Appeals special permit) • Home business for personal service business by appointment only or home business more than 25 visits, etc. (see § 350-10.12 for other criteria—Zoning Board of Appeals special permit) •: Upon completion of a 9- month moratorium ending July 1, 2014 any Any townhouse project multifamily or creating 7 or more units in one or more phases within a 5 year period. Further for any Any such project that creates 10 or more units shall comply with the following: 1.The first row of buildings along a street shall face the street and add to the streetscape. There shall not be any parking, except incidental to a driveway or roadway, between the first row of buildings and the street. Parking shall be located behind buildings or designed otherwise to minimize view from the public street. The area between the property and the road pavement shall be made to be pedestrian 2. friendly,with sidewalks, street furniture, trees and other vegetation,all of which shall be in conformance with city standards. All landscaping incorporated as part of the facilitate applicant’s design between the street and the building(s) shall and enhance the pedestrian use of sidewalks and other areas adjacent to the building. Such streetscape may include rebuilding by the applicant as necessary granite curbs, ADA compliant [AS4] concrete sidewalks, tree belts, and drainage improvements incorporating low impact development standards for any necessary drainage improvements triggered by these changes. APPROVALS Approved as to form ______________________________________, City Solicitor If Ordinance amends Chapter 20, considered advisable on the basis of accepted traffic engineering practice and hereby recommended. _____________________________________________, Assistant City Engineer REFERRALS Referred on ______________________ to ___________________________________________for public hearing OR study Report to be filed with Clerk by ________________________ Attest ________________________________, Clerk Referred on ______________________ to ___________________________________________for public hearing OR study Report to be filed with Clerk by ________________________ Attest ________________________________, Clerk REPORTS Report of _____________________________________ filed with Clerk on ________________ Approved Disapproved No recommendation Request until ________________________ for filing recommendation, Approved subject to amendment no. _________________________attached hereto Attest ___________________________________, Clerk Report of ____________________________________ filed with Clerk on ________________ Formatted: Left, Tab stops: 4", Left Approved Disapproved No recommendation Request until ________________________ for filing recommendation, Approved subject to amendment no. _________________________attached hereto Attest ___________________________________, Clerk IN CITY COUNCIL Amended, see attachment no. _________________________________, Date ________________ All rules suspended Date ___________________________ Rules suspended Date _____________________ First reading Date____________________ Second reading Date ________________ Attest _____________________________, Clerk IN CITY COUNCIL, ______________________________________________ Ordained and enrolled _______________________________________________________ Attest ______________________________, Clerk IN CITY COUNCIL, examined and found to be correctly enrolled. ______________________________________________ Committee on Enrollment ______________________________________________ Approved ______________________________________, Mayor Projects shall connect to all surrounding neighborhoods with bicycle and pedestrian access to the extent possible. (a)For projects that have more than one vehicular access, driveways and roadways shall internally and externally connect to each other and dead-end streets shall be avoided whenever possible. Dead-end roadways and driveways shall never exceed 500 feet and must include a bicycle and pedestrian connection from the dead-end street to a street, common area, park or civic space. (b)For projects that have a single vehicular access, such access shall not exceed 500 feet and pedestrian access shall also be provided directly from any street to residential units. 3.All projects shall include a park/common area fully designed and constructed to be integrated into the project which is easily accessible and available for residents of the project. 4.Buildings that abut existing residential properties shall incorporate building articulation along side facades. Building projections shall be incorporated for any side façade that is longer than 30 feet. 1.5.Front facades shall have similar setbacks consistent similar as with other buildings within the block or provide a different setback that is necessary to address any natural resources constraints. 6.The design standards for the length of dead-end streets, protection of natural features, sidewalks, wheelchair ramps, landscaping, utilities,; and tThe construction method and materials for water lines, sanitary sewers, storm sewers, fire protection, sidewalks, private roads and other infrastructure shall be those set forth in Chapter 290, Subdivision of Land., ThisThese standards shall apply even for private roadways and driveways that are not part of a subdivision, unless waived by the the Planning Board finds that a different standard is more appropriate. 7.Driveways and private roadways shall be designed to function as private alleys, or shared streets with pedestrians and cyclists, and engineered to keep speeds below 15 miles per hour, or yield streets with separate sidewalks as shown in the subdivision regulations. Such sidewalks shall connect to sidewalks along adjacent streets. 8.Buildings shall meet one of the following environmental standards: a.Meet Home Energy Rating System (HERS) rating at least 25% lower than the current energy “stretch code”at the time the special permit is requested; or b.Be US Green Building Council LEED New Construction Gold or Neighborhood Development Gold Certified; 2.9.Buildings shall meet Meet one of the following standards: a.Contain 10% of the units meeting the City’s zZoning definition for affordabilityshall be affordable within the meaningin accordance with chapter 350-2.1 of ; or b. Contain 25% or more of the units no larger than 1,200 sf gross floor area {Modify existing language for all projects by adding the following in design standard #4 of the table} 4. Parking for more than 5 cars shall be distributed on the site to minimize impact to the neighborhood character which shall be a. Accomplished by small groupings of spaces surrounded by landscaping or parallel parking along a narrow driveway to mimic an alley. Driveways wider than 15 feet shall be visually buffered from side lot lines through setbacks or screening to adequately block car headlights.