350H URC 7+ dwelling unit standards 11.20.2014Citp of J�ortbampton
MASSACHUSETTS
In the Year Two Thousand Fourteen
UPON THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE Planning Board and the Office of Planning &z
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 350H of 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:
That section 350H of the Code of Ordinances of the City of Northampton, Massachusetts, be amended
so that such section shall read as follows:
SECTYON 1
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 principal 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 § 3 50 -10.12 for other criteria —Zoning Board of Appeals special permit)
• Any multifamily or townhouse project creating 7 or more units in one or mare phases within a 5 year period.
Any such project shall comply with the following:
In City Council, November 20, 2014
Passed First Reading, on Roll Call Vote off , ? Yes, 0 No, 2 ent (Councilors Murphy and Dwight)
A ttest "ka A /L Clerk of Council
In City Council, December 4, 2014
Passed second R ding; on Rol! Call Vote of 9 Yes, 0 No
Attest; Cleric of Council
Approved. David I Narkewicz, Mayor
Rules suspended, passed hvo readings, ordained and enrolled,
14.314' T hereby certify that the above ordinance passed the Northampton City Council on December 4, 2014
qa�id 7, Narkrwicz, May^ appr d the rdmance on December 5, 2014
P ktest, C Cle -k of Couneil,
A. Buildings and Parking
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.
2. The area between the property and the road pavement shall be made to be pedestrian 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 applicant's design between the street and the
buildings) shall facilitate 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 concrete sidewalks, tree belts, and drainage improvements incorporating low impact
development standards for any necessary drainage iniproverneuts triggered by these changes.
3, Buildings that abut existing residential properties shall incorporate building articulation alongside
facades, Building projections shall be incorporated for any side fayad . that is longer than 30 feet.
4, Front facades shall have setbacks consistent with other buildings within the block or provide a different
setback that is necessary to address any natural resources constraints.
B. Streets and Roadways
1. Projects shall connect to all surrounding neighborhoods with bicycle and pedestrian access to the extent
possible.
For projects that have more than one vehicular access, driveways and roadways shall
internally and extemally connect to each other and dead -end streets shall be avoided
whenever possible. Dead -end roadways and driveways shall never exceed 500 feet and,
tc the extent possible, must include a bicycle and pedestrian connection from the dead -
end street to a street, common area, park or civic space.
2. 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.
2. The design standards for the length of dead -end streets, protection of natural features, sidewalks,
wheelchair ramps, landscaping, utilities, and the construction method and materials for water lines,
sanitary 'sewers, stone sewers, fire protection, sidewalks, private roads and other infrastructure shall be
those set forth in Chapter 290, Subdivision of Land. These standards shall apply even for private
roadways and driveways that are not part of a subdivision, unless waived by the Planning Board,
3. 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.
4. Vehicular access shall connect to surrounding streets as appropriate to ensure safe and efficient
flow of traffic within the surrounding neighborhood and to mitigate increases in traffic on nearby
streets.
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5. Pre - existing paths historically used as bicycle and pedestrian trails shall be preserved to the
extent possible and marked with appropriate signage.
C. Park Space
1. All projects shall include a park/common area fully designed and constructed to be integrated
into the project, which area shall be easily accessible and available for residents of the project. At
minimum, this space shall be 300 square feet or 30 square feet per dwelling unit of buildable
land area, whichever is greater,
2. All such space shall be contiguous unless waived by the Planning Board upon finding that it is in
the public interest and consistent with the intent and purpose of this section.
D. Environment and Energy r "
Buildings shall meet one of the following environmental standards:
1. Home Energy Rating System (HERS) rating for the building envelope at least 25% lower
than the current municipal standard at the time the special permit is requested but Mi no
event shall the HERS rating be greater than 47 for units of 1,200 square feet or less, and no
greater than 41 for units larger than 1,200 square feet. Alternatively, for units of 1,200
square feet or less, the Planning Board may consider a comparable energy standard to the
HERS rating of 47 after consultation with the Building Commissioner.
2. US Green Building Council LEED New Construction Gold or Neighborhood Development
Gold Certified.
E. Size, Access and Affordability
1. Buildings shall meet one of the following standards:
a. 11% of the units shall be "affordable units" as that term is defined in section 350 -2.1 of the
Code of the City of Northampton; or
b. Contain 25% or more of the units no larger than 1,200 square feet gross floor area.
2. Equal access. All projects shall provide equal access to all building amenities, park and civic
space and public entrances to buildings to residents of both affordable and non - affordable units.
F. Internet Connectivity
All projects that include infrastructure making internet connectivity available shall do so without
differences in quality, capacity or speed to residents of both affordable and non - affordable units.
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SECTION 2
That existing language for all projects in design standard #4 of the table be amended to read:
4. Parking for more than 5 cars shall be distributed on the site to minimiza impact to the neighborhood character
which shall be 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
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