Andover City Zoning Code
SECTION 4
DIMENSIONAL REQUIREMENTS
4.1.1 Conformance.
No building or structure shall be erected, altered, enlarged, extended, or moved on any lot, nor shall any lot containing any building or structure be altered in size or dimension, unless the resulting premises meet or exceed the minimum requirements specified in the Table of Dimensional Requirements, except where otherwise provided for in this Bylaw or G.L. c. 40A. Not more than one building designed or available for use as a dwelling shall be erected or converted to a dwelling on any lot, parcel, or tract of land in the town except where specifically provided for in this Bylaw.
4.1.2 Table of Dimensional Requirements.
All buildings and structures shall conform to the Table of Dimensional Requirements as shown in Appendix A, Table 2.
4.1.3 Exceptions and Special Requirements.
1.
Dwellings in Districts Other than Single Residence. For dwellings in districts other than single residence, the lot size and frontage requirements that apply in the adjoining single residence district sharing the longest common boundary shall apply. In the event there is no adjoining single residence district, the requirements of the nearest single residence district shall apply.
2.
Yards.
a.
Each lot shall have a width of not less than 80 percent of the required frontage at all points between the street line along which the frontage of the lot is measured and the furthest point of the rear wall of the dwelling upon the lot. The width shall be measured along lines parallel to the street line.
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b.
The minimum yard depth requirements shall not apply in any district to covered or uncovered stairs, small bays, bay windows, eaves, or cornices, provided they are unenclosed and do not extend more than five feet into a front or side yard or 10 feet into a rear yard.
c.
The yard depth from an existing way shall be measured from the right-of-way line where a plan of the way is on file with the Northern Essex Registry of Deeds or Land Court, or the Town Clerk or, in the absence of a plan or if the way is less than 40 feet wide, from a line 20 feet from and parallel with the center line of the traveled way as determined by the Town Engineer.
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d.
In SRA, SRB, and SRC districts, where other buildings exist within 200 feet on both sides of the lot in question and within the same block and district, the principal structure may extend as near the way as the average setback of the other buildings; but if the other buildings are set back more than 30 feet from the way, the principal structure shall not extend nearer to the way than the average setback of such other buildings.
e.
In the case of lots abutting on more than one way, the minimum front yard depth requirement shall apply to each such way, but the lots shall be required to have the minimum required frontage on only one of the ways. In addition, one minimum side yard depth requirement and one minimum rear yard depth requirement shall apply to the lot and shall be determined at the time of building permit issuance. Lots approved prior to the adoption of this provision and the Rules and Regulations governing the Subdivision of Land in the Town of Andover shall be exempt from this requirement.
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f.
In the case of lots that abut on a limited access highway, the minimum yard depth requirement from the highway shall be the same as the applicable side or rear yard minimum depth.
g.
No fence or sign shall be erected or installed and no trees, shrubs, or other growth shall be planted or permitted to grow or exist in any district requiring a minimum front yard depth that will dangerously obstruct the view of traffic by operators of vehicles at street intersections. This requirement shall be deemed to include, but not be limited to, any such obstruction that is more than three feet and less than eight feet above the grade of the adjoining way, and is located within an area bounded by the side lines of the intersecting ways and the line joining points on such ways 25 feet from the intersections of such side lines or the intersections of the side lines projected so as to interfere with traffic visibility across the corner.
h.
When the distance between any two points on lot lines is less than 50 feet, measured in a straight line (the threshold line), the smaller portion of the lot that lies between the lot lines and the threshold line shall not count toward the minimum lot area unless the cumulative distance along the lot lines between the two points and along the threshold line is less than 150 feet.
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3.
Building Height.
a.
The limitation on height of buildings shall not apply in any district to chimneys, ventilators, towers, silos, spires, or other ornamental features of buildings that are not used for living purposes and do not constitute more than 25 percent of the ground floor area of the building.
b.
Buildings in any residence district or the Apartment District used for municipal or educational purposes may be three stories in height but shall not exceed 45 feet.
4.
Lots Resulting from Public Acquisition. Public acquisition of any portion of a lot for the purpose of laying out or altering a public road shall not cause the resulting lot or existing structures on the lot to be dimensionally nonconforming or disqualify the lot for separate sale or legal building, provided that the width of the strip acquired does not exceed 10 feet. Front yard and coverage requirements on the lot shall be measured from the street right-of-way line in existence immediately prior to the public acquisition.
4.1.4 Special District Regulations.
1.
Apartment Districts.
a.
The minimum lot area and frontage requirements shall be the same as applies to the adjoining single residence sharing the longest common boundary. In the event there is no adjoining single residence district, the requirements of the nearest single residence district shall apply.
2.
Business Districts (LS, OP, GB, MU).
a.
No building in a business district shall be erected or expanded within 15 feet of a building containing a residential use, regardless of the district in which the building containing a residential use is located.
b.
In the General Business District, the front setback shall be the average front setback of existing buildings on the block.
3.
Industrial Districts and Office Park Districts.
a.
In the Industrial A, Industrial D, and Office Park Districts, the front, side, and rear minimum yard depth requirements in Appendix A, Table 2 shall apply to all nonresidential facilities, including structures, parking areas, driveways, tanks, loading bays, outdoor storage or work areas, and similar accessory operations on any lot in nonresidential use if the lot abuts a lot in residential use or a lot zoned Single Residence A or B or C, or abuts a public or private way that abuts in whole or in part a Single Residence A or B or C District.
b.
In Industrial A and Industrial D2 and Industrial D and Office Park Districts, no nonresidential structure shall be erected nearer than 300 feet to the outside wall of any existing dwelling, regardless of the district in which the dwelling is situated, and whether or not a public or private way lies within the 300 feet.
c.
In the case of lots that are located in industrial districts and abut railroad property, the minimum yard depth requirement from the railroad property shall not apply if a railroad siding is to be constructed.
d.
In all industrial districts, yard depth requirements shall be measured from the street line of a public way or internal access road, whichever applies.
e.
In the Industrial D District, required yard areas shall be developed and maintained only for lawns, landscaping, walks, driveways, and off-street parking.
[Amended 4-30-2024 ATM by Art. 28]
f.
In an Industrial A District, the maximum height of a building shall be four occupiable stories, but not more than 60 occupiable feet or 80 total feet, provided that the existing municipal water pressure must be sufficient for adequate water supply to reach the portion of the building over 60 feet for both fire protection and service needs without any artificial means to increase the existing pressure; and the space above 60 feet shall be:
i.
Used solely for building mechanicals, heating, ventilation, and air conditioning, utilities and other building services uses;
ii.
Setback at least 10 feet on all sides from the outside face of the top story of the building; and
iii.
Excluded from both the calculation of maximum coverage in the table of dimensional requirements and the calculation of off-street parking requirements in Appendix A, Tables 2 and 3.
iv.
The outside face of any building greater than 60 feet in height shall be at least 1,000 feet from the district boundary line of any residence district.
v.
All lighting of the buildings and grounds, including light posts, shall be screened and shielded from the abutting residential neighbors.
g.
No single Retail Sales Establishment shall exceed 25,000 square feet of gross floor area in the ID2 District. A single establishment shall be defined as having independent access, egress, and exit ways as required by State Building Code.
h.
Multiple Buildings: In the Industrial A, Industrial D, and Industrial D2 Districts, more than one building may be erected on a single lot.
4.
Mixed Use District.
a.
New structures and additions to existing structures shall not be erected within 50 feet of the nearest outside wall of an existing residential structure.
b.
No single establishment of a Business or Commercial Use in Appendix A, Table 1 shall exceed 65,000 square feet of gross floor area. A single establishment shall be defined as having independent access, egress, and exit ways as required by State Building Code.
5.
Lot/Slope Requirements in the Single Residence Districts.
a.
Except as provided in subsection 4.1.4.5(c) below, in the SRA, SRB and SRC districts, the following requirements shall apply:
i.
The slope of land at any point, stated as a percentage, shall mean the change in elevation over a horizontal distance measured perpendicular to the contours divided by the distance over which the change occurs, multiplied by 100.
Slope = (Change in elevation/horizontal distance measured perpendicular to contours) x 100
ii.
All natural slopes exceeding 35 percent, measured over a horizontal distance of 10 feet, shall be protected and remain undisturbed.
iii.
All areas with natural slopes exceeding 25 percent over a horizontal distance of 30 feet shall be excluded from the calculation of the minimum lot area required in the applicable district.
b.
The Planning Board may grant a special permit to waive the requirements of this subsection 4.1.4.5 if, in the Board's opinion, the applicant's proposal is sufficient for preserving and enhancing the landscape, minimizing grading, runoff, and soil erosion; and encouraging innovative site design.
4.1.5 Special Use Regulations.
[Amended 4-29-2025 ATM by Art. 26]
1.
Motels and Hotels. The minimum lot area per rentable unit shall be 2,000 square feet
2.
Motor Vehicle Service Station and Car Wash. Any building used for a gasoline service station, car wash, or automobile repair garage or service station shall be located at least 15 feet from the property line and at least 50 feet from the property line of any lot in a residential district. In addition, no premises used for any of these purposes shall have any driveway access within 300 feet of the lot line of any public or private school, public library, church, playground, or institution for older adults, the sick, the dependent, or children under 16 years of age, without a determination by the special permit granting authority that driveway access does not pose an unreasonable risk to pedestrian safety, including by any permit conditions deemed feasible and necessary by such authority.
4.2.1 Location.
Except as provided in Section 4.1.4.3, above, accessory buildings and structures shall conform to the following regulations.
4.2.2 Yard Depth.
The minimum requirements for yard depth shall not preclude the placing of an accessory building in the minimum yard area, provided that it (a) is located in the rear yard; (b) does not exceed 1 1/2 stories in height; (c) covers not more than 30 percent of the yard area; (d) is not located nearer than five feet to any property line; and (e) is not used for housing domestic animals or livestock. This section shall not apply to multiple dwellings in the Apartment District.
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4.2.3 Floor Area.
The ground floor area of a building accessory to a dwelling may exceed the ground floor area of the dwelling only if granted a special permit by the Zoning Board of Appeals upon its determination that the proposed accessory building will not cause visual or functional disruption to the character of the neighborhood.
4.2.4 Recreational Structures.
Subject to other provisions of this Bylaw, swimming pools, tennis courts, sports courts, and courts for nonpublic athletic and recreational activity, and their associated equipment and paraphernalia, constructed and employed for the private use without fee or charge of the occupant of the lot, are permitted as an accessory use in rear yards and in side yards, but not in front yards, in all districts, provided that they are not located nearer than 10 feet to any property line of the rear yard and that they comply with the minimum side yard setback requirements for the district.