Loading...
285 Prospect Attach 2018-02-08City of Northampton Massachusetts DEPARTMENT OF BUILDING INSPECTIONS 212 Main Street ● Municipal Building Northampton, MA 01060 Ricky Greenwald 31 Perkins Avenue Northampton, MA 01060 May 21, 2013 Re: 285 Prospect Street Map 24C Lot 005 Dear Mr. Greenwald, I have reviewed the zoning permit application submitted on April 12, 2013. I have approved the application as presented. The approved plan proposes replacing the existing non-conforming structure with a single family dwelling that conforms to all City of Northampton zoning requirements for a single family dwelling in the URB zoning district. You must close all but 15 feet of the existing curb cut on Prospect Street; the remaining curb cut must be at the eastern end of the existing cut. The asphalt apron along the Prospect St. frontage must also be removed. No other curb cuts are allowed for this parcel, either from Prospect St. or Murphy Terrace. The minimum allowed open space not covered by impervious surfaces and buildings must be 50%. The plans, as submitted, show a single family dwelling. The The plan, as approved, does not include an accessory apartment. Any home occupation at this location would need to meet the current zoning ordinance requirements. Sincerely, Louis Hasbrouck Building Commissioner City of Northampton lhasbrouck@city.northampton.ma.us (413) 587-1240 cc Carolyn Misch Daniel Milberg 352 Chesterfield Rd. Leeds, MA 01053 ZONING 350 Attachment 7:1 04 - 01 - 2017 350 Attachment 7 City of Northampton Table of Use and Dimensional Regulations URB District Description: Example Structures Primarily residential with single-, two-, three-family units allowed in different development patterns, including townhouse units. New homes should consist of units that maintain orientation, rhythm, setback pattern and street frontage green patterns of the surrounding block face Lot Dimension Requirements Layout/Setbacks For All Uses Lot Size 2,500 ft2 minimum (min.) per unit Frontage/Width = 50 feet min. Depth = 75 feet min. Setbacks Front =10 feet min. Side = 15 feet min. Side = 0 feet on one side for zero lot line Rear = 20 feet min. Max. Height = 35 feet Open Space = 40% NORTHAMPTON CODE 350 Attachment 7:2 12 - 01 - 2015 Design Standards Illustrated Planning Board may waive, by site plan approval, elements 2, 3, 4 if it can be shown that a different design meets a pedestrian-scale design that encourages public/private transition and interface (e.g., similar elements facing internal courtyards or private streets) 1. If a garage or other parking structure is attached, it must be set back 20 feet and the garage/structure shall comprise no more than 30% of the front facade of the primary structure. Side setback may be 10 feet for the garage only when not used as living area. 2. Front doors must face the street. For units extending behind front units, where entries orient to the side lot, the 20-foot side setback shall apply unless other means to create buffer/private outdoor space to adjoining property are approved by the Planning Board. Buildings must have a covered entry. Covered entry 20' 20' 20' 20' 15' 15' 15' 15' Max. 30% of total combined area of facades Max 30% of total combined area of facades Connector elements must be set back & include glazed openings that face the street Living space above DOESN’T FIT Max. 30% of total combined area of facades Living space above Exceeds 30% of total combined area of facades Garage or Parking Structure Area Primary Structure ZONING 350 Attachment 7:3 04 - 01 - 2017 3. For new buildings, setback, scale, massing should fit within the block face. 4. Parking for more than 5 cars shall be distributed on the site to minimize 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. Minimum parking for residential uses For other uses see table in § 350-8.2. 1 space per 1,000 ft2 gross living area (round up). No more than 2 spaces required per unit. Front yard setback may only have parking for a maximum of two vehicles Doesn’t fit NORTHAMPTON CODE 350 Attachment 7:4 12 - 01 - 2015 URB USES ALLOWED Uses Allowed By Right: Single-, two-, three-family dwellings Attached (to a single-family) accessory dwelling unit not to exceed 900 square feet gross living area. See § 350-10.10. Same setback as for principal structures. Home business up to 25 visits per week as defined in § 350-2.1 Zero lot line single-family; see § 350-10.14 Preexisting nonconforming uses (may trigger ZBA permit) Accessory uses to residential: Tag sales: temporary sales of personal and household articles Pets/Animals (§ 350-5.3) Accessory structures, detached (but no larger than 1,000 ft2 of lot coverage or 3% of lot area, whichever is greater, unless it is used for agricultural purposes). See also § 350-6.7. Setbacks: Front: 20 feet Side: 4 feet Rear: 4 feet Family day care (registration w/Building Commissioner required) Cemetery Temporary event as defined in § 350-2.1 Municipal facility; facilities for essential services Agriculture, horticulture, floriculture, noncommercial forestry, the growing of all vegetables and a temporary (not to exceed erection or use for a period of four months in any one year) greenhouse or stand for retail sale of agricultural or farm products raised primarily on the same premises Rooftop solar hot water and photovoltaic Accessory solar photovoltaic (PV) ground-mounted on a parcel with any building/use, provided that the PV is sized to generate no more than 100% or 8 KW of the annual projected electric use of the non-PV building/use. Same setbacks as for detached accessory structures. Solar photovoltaic of any size, ground-mounted over any legal parking lot or driveway   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. Townhouses with six or fewer units Educational use: nonprofit, dormitories, any religious use, day care, school-aged child-care program (MGL c. 28A, § 9) and historical association or society and nonprofit museum (may include the residence of a caretaker) Reuse of historic educational or religious building(s) for any residential use, live/work space, or office; provided, however, that no more than 20% of the floor space of the building(s) shall be used for medical, banking or any offices where a primary function is to provide services to retail customers or individuals. All such uses approved under this provision shall be within the footprint of existing building(s) and may only be approved contingent upon protection of all historically contributing portions of the building with an historic preservation restriction granted to the City of Northampton in a form acceptable to the Planning Board, with input from the Historical Commission, as preserving the key character-defining features visible from the road (and not necessarily meeting federal or state preservation standards for the entire building). The existing building may be expanded to accommodate elevators and stairwells. Portions of the building that are not part of the original architecture of the building and which do not contribute to the historical or architectural significance of the building as determined by the Planning Board, with input from the Historical Commission, may be demolished. Cluster development. See below for lot layout standards and § 350-10.5 for other required criteria. ZONING 350 Attachment 7:5 04 - 01 - 2017 Parking off-site and combined parking. See §§ 350-8.5 and 350-8.7. Creation or expansion of six or more parking spaces Parking lot access for nonresidential uses across a residential lot. See § 350-8.9. Parking requirement reduction. See § 350-8.10F. Residential shared driveways. See § 350-8.8R. Private utility, substation or district utility, small-scale hydroelectric generation Year-round greenhouse/stand for wholesale and retail sale of agricultural farm products raised on site Telecommunications antennas (cellular phone) located on existing telecommunications towers or other structures which do not require the construction of a new tower (in accordance with § 350- 10.9) 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) Any townhouse project creating seven or more units in one or more phases within a five-year period. Any such project shall comply with the following: 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 building(s) 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, of granite curbs, ADA-compliant concrete sidewalks, tree belts, and drainage improvements incorporating low-impact development standards for any necessary drainage improvements 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 façade 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. 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, to the extent possible, 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. 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 NORTHAMPTON CODE 350 Attachment 7:6 12 - 01 - 2015 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. 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. 5) Preexisting 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 a 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. 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 in 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) U.S. 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 § 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. Educational use: private for-profit colleges, schools, etc. Community Center Lodging house, halfway house Bed-and-breakfast/tourist home Nursing homes, assisted living Membership club operated as a not-for-profit corporation, as defined by MGL c. 180, excluding any adult establishments which display live nudity Filling of any land. See § 350-10.4. ZONING 350 Attachment 7:7 04 - 01 - 2017 Filling of water or wet area. See § 350-10.3. Funeral establishment Crematory Accessory solar photovoltaic ground-mounted on a parcel with any building or use, between 8 KW or over 100% but no more than 200% of the annual projected electric use of the non-PV building or use Heavy public use. See § 350-10.7—City Council special permit Solar photovoltaic (PV), large-scale ground-mounted not requiring the removal of more than 25,000 board feet of timber. Setbacks: Front = 50 feet Side = 50 feet Rear = 50 feet Maximum height = 30 feet Open space = 20% A planted buffer to abutting residential property shall be at least 15 feet in width along the property boundary. It shall contain a screen of plantings of vertical habit in the center of the strip not less than three feet in width and six feet in height at the time of occupancy of such lot. Individual shrubs shall be planted not more than five feet on center, and individual trees thereafter shall be maintained by the owner or occupants so as to maintain a dense screen year-round. At least 50% of the plantings shall be evenly spaced. Whenever possible, existing trees and ground cover should be preserved in this strip, reducing the need to plant additional trees. Trees may not be cut down in this strip without site plan approval. Cluster Development Layout Standards a. Project lot = 2-acre minimum b. Project frontage = 50 feet c. Project depth = 100 feet d. Setbacks from project boundary: Front = 10 feet Side = 15 feet Rear = 20 feet e. Individual lot frontage, setbacks, frontage = 0 feet f. Maximum height = 40 feet g. Project open space = 50% h. Design: Planning Board to review layout to ensure project transitions between existing neighborhood along street and proposed project. For new buildings, setback, scale, massing should fit within the block face. Mature specimen trees shall be preserved unless shown to be infeasible. No minimum setbacks, lot size, frontage, or open space for internal lots. More than one structure may be located on a single lot. A. B. C. D. City of Northampton, MA Tuesday, January 30, 2018 Chapter 350. Zoning § 350-8.8. Parking and loading space standards. All parking and loading areas shall comply with the following: A parking space shall be at least 8 1/2 feet in width and 18 feet in length, with at least 18 feet of backing-up and maneuvering area directly behind the space (which may be shared with other spaces). Except for parking spaces for the same residential housing unit, each space must be laid out so that it does not block access to another parking space. The layout of the parking area shall allow suécient space for the storage of plowed snow without reducing the number of required parking spaces, unless removal by some other means is provided. Any çxture used to illuminate any parking area shall be so arranged as to direct the light away from the street and away from adjoining premises used for residential purposes and shall be in conformance with § 350-12.2. Parking shall not be located within çve feet from the front lot line for residential uses, 15 feet for uses in M District, nor 10 feet for other uses. For all residential uses in all residential districts except for URC, parking for more than two vehicles shall not be permitted within the front yard setback. Parking is not permitted within any of the setbacks in the Business Park or Planned Village Districts. E. F. G. H. I. J. K. L. M. Parking and loading spaces, other than those required for single- and two-family dwellings, shall be so arranged as to prohibit backing of vehicles onto any street. Unless directly opposite an intersecting street, no portion of a driveway entrance or exit shall be closer than 50 feet to the curbline of an intersecting street nor shall it be closer than 50 feet to any portion of an existing driveway located in a business or industrial district. There shall be a maximum of one driveway curb cut per lot. In CB, GB, EB and HB Districts, a special permit from the Planning Board is required for more than one curb cut. The Planning Board may only issue a second curb cut if the applicant can show that there is something unique about the property that would otherwise render èow to and from the property unsafe and unmanageable. If the Board çnds that more than one curb cut is necessary for traéc safety purposes, then additional oæ-site traéc mitigation may be required by the Planning Board to address pedestrian safety within the abutting street network. In all other districts, the Planning Board may, as part of site plan approval, allow additional driveways/curb cuts if, and only if, such permit will promote and improve safe and eécient traéc circulation. Residential driveways shall generally be over the front lot line directly from the street. Residential driveways may be constructed across side and rear lot lines directly from the street, however, when the Department of Public Works çnds, or the Planning Board issues a site plan approval, that the driveway will not degrade safety. Driveways shall not cross lot lines of adjoining properties without Planning Board site plan approval. A driveway's entrance or exit shall not exceed, at its intersection with the front lot line, a width of 15 feet for single- , two- and three-family uses and 24 feet for all other uses, except that the Planning Board may, as part of site plan approval, allow a thirty-foot width if, and only if, such approval will promote safe and eécient traéc circulation. The parking area and access driveways thereto shall be graded and drained so as to dispose of all surface water accumulation in accordance with acceptable engineering practices. Except on a farm, not more than one commercial vehicle, and said vehicle shall not exceed a weight of 10,000 pounds gross weight shall be garaged or in any way stored on any lot in any Residential (R) District. No private access street or driveway serving a parking lot for nonresidential use shall cross property in a residential district except with a special permit granted by the Planning Board. No more than two unregistered motor vehicles (any vehicle that does not have a valid registration legally issued by a governmental authority), and no motor vehicle accessories which are not parts of said two vehicles may be parked, stored or otherwise placed on a parcel of land in the City of Northampton without a special permit from the Zoning Board of Appeals. This section shall not apply to the parking, storage or otherwise placing of unregistered motor vehicles and/or motor vehicle accessories where such parking, storage or placement is in connection with a legally established business selling new and/or used automobiles and trucks, or automotive repair or automobile service stations. This section shall also not apply to trucks and tractors which are in use for bona çde agricultural purposes. All permitted unregistered motor vehicles and/or motor vehicle accessories shall be screened from the view of the public and from abutting public ways and from abutting properties by being enclosed within a structure or sight impervious fencing or screening. N. O. P. Q. (1) (2) (3) (4) R. A zoning permit must be received from the Building Commissioner and a driveway permit from the Department of Public Works, for all new or relocated driveways or parking lots. Any use (drive-ins, etc.) which requires the "stacking" of vehicles waiting in line must be able to provide for the stacking of at least çve vehicles in each line without the cars exceeding the boundaries of the lot. No portion of individual, private driveways shall exceed a slope of 10% with switchbacks and turns reasonable for emergency vehicle access. However, driveways between 10% and a maximum of 12% on south-facing slopes with no curves may be approved by the Oéce of Planning and Development in consultation with the Fire Department when it is determined that no public safety issues will be created with such driveways. However, the Planning Board may allow steeper grades by special permit, when it is determined that no public safety issues will be created with such driveways. For all driveways with grades greater than 8% or longer than 500 feet and which do not result in total site disturbance of one acre or more triggering a Department of Public Works stormwater permit, a drainage plan shall be submitted to the Oéce of Planning and Development for review and approval. Shared driveways for residential access in residential districts require site plan approval from the Planning Board and: Shall not service more than three lots (six lots for common driveways that loop to a road in two locations and are not dead-ends in any location). Shall provide the only vehicular access to the lots being serviced by it, and shall be so stated in the lot deeds. Shall be of suitable construction, grade, length and location, in the opinion of the Planning Board, for the access and turnaround of cars, trucks, ambulances, çre, and police, which will be utilizing such driveway. At a minimum, a common driveway shall not exceed grade of 10%, shall have a width of a least 15 feet, shall have passing turnouts providing a total width of at least 20 feet along a distance of at least 25 feet, spaced with no more than 300 feet between turnouts, and with the çrst such passing turnout being located within 10 feet of the driveway connection to the street, and shall conform to all other driveway requirements of this chapter. Shall be described on easements and easement plans approved with the site plan (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) A. (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) B. City of Northampton, MA Thursday, February 8, 2018 Chapter 350. Zoning § 350-5.3. Accessory uses. Any use which is accessory to a principal use allowed by right shall be allowed only in connection with such allowed principal use. Any use which is accessory to a principal use allowed by special permit, and which is not speciçcally included in the original special permit, shall be allowed only after issuance of a new special permit. Cessation of a principal use shall require cessation of any accessory use which is not otherwise allowed as a principal use. The Building Commissioner shall be responsible for determining what uses are principal and what uses are accessory. The following shall be limitations on certain speciçc accessory uses: The keeping of farm animals, to include all farm animals and exotics, and a related private stable, for personal use, is permitted as an accessory use in accordance with the following conditions: The minimum acreage required for keeping any farm or exotic animal, except as described below, shall be 30,000 square feet for the çrst animal and 15,000 square feet for each additional such animal. Animals under six months not to be counted for acreage requirements. The minimum acreage required for keeping sheep, goats, llama, rabbits, or poultry, except as allowed under household pets, shall be 30,000 square feet for up to three animals and 10,000 square feet for each additional such animal. Animals under six months not to be counted for acreage requirements. (The requirements for these animals are less stringent than other farm animals because these animals have less environmental impact.) The location of any stable shall be not less that 100 feet from any street lot line and not less than 30 feet from any other lot line. There must be adequate fencing to contain all farm animals at least 20 feet from all property boundaries at all times, except when animals are being directly supervised by and under control of a person. Stables, corrals and yards shall be properly drained and reasonably free from excessive odor, dust, and mud, so as not to create a nuisance or health hazard to the community or to surrounding property owners, from an air or drainage pollution standpoint. Maintenance of the stable and property used in the keeping of animals shall conform to all health and wetland regulations. Horses, ponies, llamas and sheep may be kept for personal use without being accessory to any other use, otherwise in accordance with this section and § 350-5.2. The keeping of household pets for personal use is permitted as an accessory use for animals commonly considered household pets, including: Dogs. Cats. Fish. Birds (parrots, parakeets, doves, pigeons, etc.). Six or fewer rabbits. (a) (b) (c) (d) (e) (6) Six or fewer adult female chickens or up to three ducks per parcel or per structure in the case where multiple residential structures exist on one condominium parcel. Additional chicks and ducklings are not subject to this limit. All of the following standards apply: Fowl must be maintained on the subject premises. Coop and run areas shall be regularly maintained to control dust and odor and not constitute a nuisance or safety hazard. Coops shall be located at least four feet from property boundaries, and no coop may be sited closer than 10 feet to an existing residential structure on an abutting parcel. All stormwater runoæ from the coop, run and compost areas shall be contained on site. On-site slaughtering is prohibited.