24B-027 (2) City of Northampton
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fir' DEPARTMENT OF BUILDING INSPECTIONS p?,e
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212 Main Street • Municipal Building
Northampton, MA 01060 �kyy WON
Mr. Leyton-Palacios
17 Barrett Street
Northampton, MA 01060
24B-027-001
April 18, 2024
Mr. Leyton-Palacios,
According to our city records, you are the owner of 17 Barrett Street.
We received a complaint about your property at 17 Barrett Street. The complaint alleges that you
have unregistered vehicles on the property. I conducted a site visit on April 18, 2024 and observed 4
unregistered vehicles.
This letter shall serve as a notice of violation and order in accordance with the City of Northampton
Zoning Ordinance Chapter 350-8.8(L) Failure to correct these violations in 15 days can result in
penalties of up to $300.00 per day.
I have attached the zoning ordinance regarding this matter.
Please call if you have any questions. Our telephone number is 587-1240 and our office hours are
Monday through Friday, 8:30 am to 4:30 pm.
Thank you for your cooperation in this matter.
Kevin Ross
City of Northampton
Building Inspector
Zoning Enforcement
kross@northamptonma.gov
City of Northampton,MA
§ 350-8.8 § 350-8.8
H. 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 efficient traffic circulation. See also
requirements in §§ 350-21 and 350-22 for Character Districts as applicable.
I. 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.
J. 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.
K. 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.
L. 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 fide agricultural purposes.
M. 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. 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.
O. 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 five vehicles in each line without the cars
exceeding the boundaries of the lot.
P. 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 Office of
Planning and Sustainability 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.
Q. 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 Office of Planning and
Sustainability for review and approval.
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City of Northampton,MA
§ 350-8.8 § 350-8.8
R. Shared driveways for residential access in residential districts require site plan approval from
the Planning Board and:
(1) 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).
(2) Shall provide the only vehicular access to the lots being serviced by it, and shall be so
stated in the lot deeds.
(3) 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, fire, 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 first 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.
(4) Shall be described on easements and easement plans approved with the site plan
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City of Northampton,MA
§ 350-8.8. Parking and loading space standards.
All parking and loading areas shall comply with the following:
A. 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.
minimum
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parking 18,
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B. The layout of the parking area shall allow sufficient space for the storage of plowed snow
without reducing the number of required parking spaces, unless removal by some other
means is provided.
C. Any fixture 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.
D. Parking shall not be located within five feet from the front lot line for residential uses, 15 feet
for uses in M District,nor 10 feet for other uses.
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City of Northampton,MA
§ 350-8.8 § 350-8.8
10'setback
- 5'setback
residential uses other uses
(1) 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.
(2) Within the URA, B and C Districts, no more than one parking space may be located
between a public street and directly in front of a dwelling's front facade. The width of
pavement for driveways and parking shall be no greater than 20 feet across the width of
the parcel between the house and the street. Parking may be located in the frontage to
the side of the front facade.
E. 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.
F. 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.
G. There shall be a maximum of one driveway curb cut per lot. In GB and HB Districts, and for
all new two-family lots, a special permit from the Planning Board is required for more than
one curb cut. See also requirements in §§ 350-21 and 350-22 for Character District standards
as applicable. 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 flow to and
from the property unsafe and unmanageable. If the Board finds that more than one curb cut
is necessary for traffic safety purposes, then additional off-site traffic 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
efficient traffic 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 finds, 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.
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