Rezoning Northampton for a Sustainable Future

Highlights from Final Report of the Zoning Revisions Committee

Process
 Met two times per month for two years  Analyzed existing zoning and Sustainable Northampton Plan  Conducted focus group meetings with neighborhood groups, developers, etc.  Held five public forums  Accepted public comment at every meeting
Zoning Revisions Process

KEY RECOMMENDATIONS

Translating Sustainability Goals into Zoning Goals

Task: Boil Future Land Use Map and 45 pages of goals, objectives and strategies from the Sustainable Northampton Plan into a short set of summary goals that are relevant to zoning.

Concentrate development and allow for a wide range of housing types and work spaces in walkable, mixed-use neighborhood, village and commercial centers Minimize development in areas that lack infrastructure or have significant environmental, open space or agricultural resources Promote environmental performance, including energy and resource efficiency Make the zoning code more user-friendly and processes more transparent Promote design that fits into neighborhoods so that new development makes the city a better place.

  

Key Recommendations
 Long-term:
Invest in a comprehensive effort to restructure and rewrite the entire zoning code

 Medium-term:
Address parking in dense residential neighborhoods (e.g. through onstreet residential parking permits AND changes to parking requirements in zoning)

 Short-term:
Revise urban agriculture provisions (backyard chickens) Revise Home Business Provisions Revise Accessory Apartment Provisions Revise Planned Development Provisions Revise Dimensional Standards for URC, URB, and URA Establish design standards for larger projects Develop a non-binding design guidebook to encourage compatible design in Northampton Take steps to make the zoning easier to understand

HOME BUSINESS PROVISIONS

Home Businesses
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 dont meet or work with other people in your house

 If home business activity doesnt 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

Home Business Proposal

Goal
 Allow many types of home business by right, but minimize impacts on neighborhoods  Allow current illegal home businesses to operate legally

Strategies
 Regulate auto traffic instead of clients and customers seen  Do not distinguish between types of visits (by client, employee, delivery person, contractor, etc.)

Home Business Proposal

Benefits for Sustainability
Supports
 Infill and uses existing structures for multiple purposes (mixed-use)  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  Cost of doing business in Northampton  Regulations - fewer special permits required

Home Business Proposal Definition

A Home Business:
 Is conducted entirely within the buildings on a property

(Slide # 10)

 Does not cause any outward manifestation that is uncharacteristic of or an additional disturbance to the neighborhood
e.g. traffic, parking congestion, noise or air pollution, outdoor materials storage, public service or utility demand

 Does not include any clinical medical/dental practice, veterinary hospital, restaurant, retail or wholesale supply shop or store, or mortuary. Other uses may be excluded on a case-by case basis.

Definition applies to By Right and Special Permit Home Businesses.

Home Business Provisions (Proposed)

(Apply to By Right and Special Permit Home Businesses)  It is secondary to use of the dwelling for residential purposes  A principal practitioner of the business resides in the home  It does not occupy more than 40% of the floor area  No goods are sold from the premises
Except for those created in the home or sold by internet or telephone

(Slide # 11)

 It does not produce noise, obnoxious odors, vibrations, glare, fumes or electrical interference detectable to normal sensory perception beyond the lot line  The structure conforms to all applicable fire, building, and health codes.  A one square foot sign, attached to building and not lighted, is allowed  If in an accessory structure, structure must conform to setback requirements for accessory structures in that district, unless a Finding by the ZBA in accordance with 350 9.3 is made  Must be registered with the city including business hours, vehicle trips, etc.

Home Business Proposal By Right

Additional Provisions for By Right Home Businesses
 There is no outdoor storage of materials, merchandise, or equipment  Up to two open studios to sell home made goods permitted per year  No more than 30 automobile round trips per week  Maximum of 7 trips in any single day  Hours of operation must be between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m.

Home Business Proposal Special Permits

Special Permit Required To:
 Generate more than 30 automobile round trips per week  Generate more than 7 automobile round trips in any one day  Propose operating hours outside of 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.  Hold more than 2 open studio functions per year  Store materials outdoors, as long as stored materials are not visible from the street or adjacent properties Special Permits must be renewed once, immediately following the first year of operation, and then may be renewed in perpetuity if no changes are made

Other than providing these additional options by Special Permit, ALL OTHER PROVISIONS FOR HOME BUSINESS BY RIGHT STILL APPLY (See Slides 10 & 11)

ZONING IN TRADITIONAL NEIGHBORHOODS

Non-Conformance in 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)

Why Does this Matter? - Zoning doesnt match our existing neighborhoods - We have great urban neighborhoods that can never be built again!

*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. **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

Non-Conformance in Traditional Neighborhoods

Example: Walnut Street Properties that Do Not Conform to their Zoning (by lot size) Example: Elizabeth Street This 2-Family Home Could Not be Built Today

84%

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

84% could not be built on these lots today!

Innovative Infill Housing NOT Allowed

COTTAGE & POCKET HOUSING

Adaptive Reuse Infill Housing NOT Allowed

Allowed Downtown, but.

Not allowed in Leeds ADAPTIVE REUSE OF OBSOLETE BUILDINGS

Infill
Infill is 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

RESIDENTIAL INFILL PROPOSALS

Infill 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 there was continued support for this idea at our public meetings  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

Infill in Urban Residential Zones

Sustainability Benefits of Changes to Allow Residential Infill
Environment:
 More people live in walking distance to goods and services = less driving  Allows flexible reuse of existing buildings and properties in face of changing household sizes and needs. Reuse is more resource-efficient than new construction

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

Infill in Urban Residential Zones

Considerations: Allowing More Infill
 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 dont 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

Residential Infill Proposal # 1: Accessory Apartments

Revise the citys accessory apartment regulations to make it easier to have accessory apartments on owner-occupied single family properties
 For garages, carriage houses and other accessory structures built prior to 1975, allow accessory units in existing structures that are closer to property boundaries than homes.  For all other detached accessory dwelling units, allow structures to be located within 10 of the front and rear property line by right. In URC, allow this to be reduced to a minimum of 4 by Special Permit  Allow conversion of a detached accessory structure into an accessory apartment by-right rather than requiring a Special Permit.  Allow the entrance to an accessory apartment to be located in the front of the building (in addition to the side or rear) in URA, URB and URC.

Residential Infill Proposal #2: Innovative Housing

Amend the citys Planned Development regulations to allow for innovative housing and adaptive reuse of obsolete structures by Special Permit
 Develop zoning provisions to allow for Cottage or Pocket Housing. For example, some possibilities for Cottage Homes zoning could include: Allowing more than one principal structure on a lot Limiting size of cottage home units Allowing single family or duplex structures Allowing shared open space and parking  Adaptive Reuse: Allow conversion of a non-residential buildings to residential

Residential Infill Proposal #3: Small Scale Infill

Amend dimensional standards in the urban residential districts to preserve and promote traditional urban neighborhoods, and allow small-scale infill & flexible conversion of homes.
Approach: Revise standards to allow for infill within existing lots, but prevent splitting of small lots into even smaller lots, which would result in more new construction and a sense of less open space in these neighborhoods.  1-4 family homes in URC, 1-3 family homes in URB, 1-2 family homes in URA  Remove the link between the number of units and lot size, allowing flexible conversion of homes in allowed ranges  Set minimum lot size and frontage requirements to minimize splitting of lots  Simplify requirements and use a more form-based approach in which requirements are set to promote a traditional urban form and do not vary by number of units

Dimensional Averaging

Residential Infill Proposal #3: Small Scale Infill in URC

Medium term: Consider parking permits and parking requirement reductions, with provisions for snow emergency parking See memo to Parking Committee Proposed standards based on traditional neighborhood design and assessment of existing conditions, e.g lot size proposal based on existing lots in URC: 70% percent of properties have lot sizes of 3,750 and above.

Residential Infill Proposal #3: Small Scale Infill in URB

Lot size proposal based on existing lots in URB: 50% percent of existing 2-family properties have lot sizes of 4,400 and above

Residential Infill Proposal #3: Small Scale Infill in URA

Lot Size based on existing lots in URA: 76% percent of existing 1-family properties have lot sizes of 10,000 sq. ft. and above.

Residential Infill Proposal #4: Design Standards

Establish general design standards that apply only to larger projects
 Urban residential districts: Design standards with Administrative Site Plan Review to apply to all new construction or additions that expand the footprint of a structure by over 700 square feet  Design standards should be general (no detailed architectural standards), addressing building massing and relationship to the street / neighbors

Residential Infill Proposal #4: Design Standards

Establish general design standards that apply only to larger projects  Design and other standards to address:
New structures should not interfere with solar access of neighboring structures Where Special Permit required, buildings should 1) be oriented towards the street (with some exceptions) and 2) demonstrate fit with existing neighborhood Tree preservation and replacement, and front yard shade tree standards Relief from dimensional standards by Planning Board Site Plan Review More detailed design standards for townhomes and larger developments

Residential Infill Proposal #5: Design Guidebook

Develop a Design Guidebook with more detailed (non-binding) design guidelines (See details in the final report)

Residential Infill Proposal #6: Make Zoning Easier to Understand

__________________________________________________
Provide Guidance and Make Improvements that Make Zoning Easier to Understand (See details in the final report)

KEY LONG-TERM RECOMMENDATION

Invest in a comprehensive effort to restructure and rewrite the entire zoning code.

Questions?
Thank you for giving us the opportunity to serve our community!
Sincerely, The Zoning Revisions Committee: Dennis Bidwell Stephen Gilson Danielle McKahn Peter McLean Jim Nash Bob Reckman Dillon Sussman Tom Weiner