Barrington City Zoning Code
ARTICLE XXXI
Senior Residential Village District
§ 185-222 Findings.
A.
The Town of Barrington's Comprehensive Plan outlines strategies to achieve the state-mandated ten-percent low- and moderate-income housing goal and expanding housing options for current and future residents of Barrington. The Comprehensive Plan identifies a need to provide housing for a growing senior population, workforce housing for municipal employees and other workers, and persons with disabilities.
[Amended 12-4-2023 by Ord. No. 2023-12]
B.
A specific area of the Town has been identified in the Housing for Barrington's Future: Housing Land Use Study as suitable to implement creation of a compact "village" community with a range of housing types at varying densities: the former Zion Bible Institute campus on Middle Highway (Plat 14/Lots 2, 4, 13, 341, 342, 343).
§ 185-223 Applicability.
The Senior Residential Village District shall consist of the former Zion Bible Institute on Middle Highway (Plat 14, Lots 2, 4, 13, 341, 342, and 343), as more specifically set forth on the Official Zoning Map.
§ 185-224 Purposes.
The purposes of this article are to achieve the following Comprehensive Plan goals:
A.
Increase diversity of housing types in Barrington, with dwelling units that meet the needs of residents at varying life stages, recognizing that single-family homes in traditional subdivisions may not meet the needs of all segments of the population, especially the senior population.
B.
Meet the housing needs of households with a range of incomes, including 75% market rate and 25% housing affordable to those with low income (below 80% of area median income) or moderate income (80% to 120% of area median income).
C.
Encourage a form of development that embraces the Town and neighbors and does not give the appearance of a stand-alone development or "gated community."
D.
Promote the concept of a "garden suburb" in keeping with the character of Barrington, with a formal element at the core (village green, higher densities) and lower densities at the edges.
E.
Provide housing that is accessible to people with disabilities.
F.
Design common areas for people to meet and develop strong social ties.
G.
Provide compact, sustainable development that preserves open space for recreation, hiking paths, community gardens, and other public uses.
H.
Encourage walkable neighborhoods by providing sidewalks, hiking paths, and connections to shops and services, where feasible.
I.
Facilitate public interaction along the street by including residential units with porches and covered stoops, as appropriate.
J.
Minimize the emphasis of private vehicles by recessing garages back from the facade of the structure or providing utility access to garages on rear or side alleyways or driveways, where possible.
K.
Retain existing buildings with historical or architectural features that define the visual character of the community; retain properties such as Belton Court, listed on the National Register of Historic Places; and retain monumental landscaping and features such as the existing cedar hedge and stonewall along Middle Highway.
L.
Incorporate low-impact development principles into the design to reduce energy consumption for construction, operation, and maintenance, to reduce impermeable pavement, and encourage use of sustainable materials and energy sources.
M.
Encourage access to multi-modal transit.
N.
Provide a mix of uses for developments with more than 20 contiguous acres of upland, to assure convenient access by the residents of such developments to some of the goods and services needed for a diverse population.
§ 185-225 Affordability requirement.
For all proposed development within the Senior Residential Village District, at least 25% of the units must qualify as affordable housing, as defined by R.I.G.L. § 45-53-3(9). Affordable units shall also comply with § 185-194 of this chapter.
§ 185-226 Design and building requirements.
A.
Density.
(1)
Overall residential density shall be between six and eight units per acre of developable land.
(2)
Developable land shall exclude the following:
(3)
If the following performance standards are attained, a corresponding density bonus shall be available:
(a)
Restoration of Belton Court and grounds associated with its historic use, including the central courtyard and front lawn between the building and Middle Highway and preservation of the mature vegetation in front of Belton Court along Middle Highway. The density bonus shall be that the acreage within the Belton Court Historic Register District shall be included in the developable land area.
(b)
Provision, either on site or off site, of public open space and recreation of 500 square feet per unit, or 200 square feet more per unit required per § 185-226B below. The density bonus shall be that land utilized for commercial use, including associated parking, shall be included in the developable land area.
B.
Open space/recreation.
(1)
Open space/recreation improvements shall be required. For each unit, 300 square feet of open space (in addition to wetlands/flood zone and other areas of constraint) shall be preserved and improved for the benefit of residents and shall be accessible to the general public.
(2)
Open space/recreation improvements shall be completed on site. Developers may request approval to meet a portion of the open space/recreation improvements requirement off site.
(3)
Improvements may include common open seating areas and landscaped parks, playground, community gardens and vegetable plots, hiking trails, or off-site improvements so designated at the discretion of the Planning Board at existing municipal recreation areas.
C.
Public streets/streetscape.
(1)
New or repaired sidewalks shall be provided as necessary along any public street frontage, including Middle Highway.
(2)
The number of curb cuts shall be minimized.
(3)
Street trees shall be planted at regular intervals, consistent with the Town's Land Development and Subdivision Regulations,[1] to define the street edge, buffer pedestrians from vehicles, and provide shade. Where feasible, trees shall be located in a planting strip between the curb and sidewalk.
(4)
Utilities shall be placed underground.
D.
Internal private streets/streetscape.
(1)
Pedestrian-scale lighting shall be provided in surface parking lots and along all roadways.
(2)
"Dark Sky" cutoff lighting fixtures shall be required.
(3)
Streets, including internal driveways, shall be designed with sidewalks along at least one side of the roadway. Sidewalks on both sides of a street shall be provided in residential areas. Sidewalk width shall be at least five feet.
(4)
Continuous streets are preferred. Cul-de-sacs may be approved by the Planning Board if deemed necessary due to environmental constraints or other site-related factors.
[Amended 12-4-2023 by Ord. No. 2023-12]
(5)
Off-street parking shall be provided according to Article XV or as otherwise approved by the Planning Board.
(6)
The provision of large parking areas shall be minimized. Small parking areas that are well integrated within the development are encouraged.
(7)
Parking shall not overwhelm spaces between buildings. Landscaping and public spaces shall be used to break up/soften parking lots where provided.
(8)
On-street, surface parking shall not be located within 30 feet of a corner.
(9)
Parking of any type shall not be located in the area between the Belton Court structures and Middle Highway.
(10)
Historic preservation. Belton Court, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and the associated historic grounds which shall be defined by the Planning Board, shall be preserved in a manner consistent with the Secretary of the Interior Standards for Historic Properties.
E.
Building and unit design.
(1)
A diversity of senior housing types is encouraged. Residential units should include a mix of housing types, including single-family, townhouse, cottage, and multifamily units, where appropriate.
(2)
A range of building typologies is encouraged. Articulated facades and rooflines are preferred.
(3)
The ground floor of an assisted-living facility shall be articulated to relate well with the street (e.g. porches, colonnades, etc.).
(4)
Whenever possible, cottage designs shall incorporate porches or wide stoops with overhangs on the front of units to encourage interaction between residents and those walking along pedestrian paths and sidewalks.
F.
Mixed uses/amenities.
(1)
A mixture of uses (e.g., assisted living, memory care, educational, retail, restaurant, senior services, personal services, or offices, etc.) shall be provided in addition to residential use, so as to encourage walkable neighborhoods and reduce vehicle miles traveled.
(2)
On-site amenities for residents (e.g., meeting space, medical office, coffee shop, hair salon, etc.) are encouraged. Such amenities may also be open to the public at the discretion of the developer.
G.
Site planning.
(1)
On-site density of the development shall be carefully arranged to respect existing neighborhood conditions. Where the boundaries of the district abut existing neighborhoods, setbacks and height stepbacks should be compatible with the neighboring zoning district.
(2)
Transitions from high- to medium- to low-density shall be carefully designed to avoid abrupt changes in building heights and massing. This can be handled through articulation of the buildings and other strategies such as locating public open spaces to serve as transition zones.
(3)
Green building/sustainable principles shall be incorporated in site design as practicable.
(4)
Stormwater shall be managed in accordance with RIDEM low-impact design standards.
(5)
Native vegetation shall be retained and grading minimized wherever possible to maintain natural features of the site.
H.
Maintenance responsibility. The owner(s) of the development(s) shall be responsible for maintenance, repair and liability for all facilities and infrastructure within the development. If there is more than one owner of a parcel, then a homeowner's association or condominium association shall be formed to maintain common areas such as parks, trails, lawns, and private roadways.
§ 185-227 Dimensional regulations.
A.
Minimum lot area, lot width/frontage, yard and setback requirements shall not apply between buildings or development parcels within the Senior Residential Village District but shall be established by the Planning Board as part of the approval process.
[Amended 12-4-2023 by Ord. No. 2023-12]
B.
The maximum building and structure height for any new buildings (principal or accessory), or new additions to existing buildings, shall be 50 feet, provided that setback requirements set forth herein shall be met.
C.
Dimensional setbacks shall apply between the borders of the Senior Residential Village Districts and all structures (including for accessory structures) as follows:
(1)
From Middle Highway, any new structure of up to 35 feet in height shall be set back a minimum of 25 feet. For any structure above 35 feet in height, up to a maximum total of 50 feet in height, such new structure shall be set back a minimum of an extra three feet for every foot of additional height above 35 feet. For example, a forty-foot-high structure would require a minimum setback of (25+15=) 40 feet, and a fifty-foot-high structure would require a minimum setback of (25+45=) 70 feet.
(2)
From any property in the R-10 Zoning District, any new structure of up to 35 feet in height shall be set back a minimum of 20 feet. For any structure above 35 feet in height, up to a maximum total of 50 feet in height, such new structure shall be set back a minimum of an extra three feet for every foot of additional height above 35 feet. For example, a forty-foot-high structure would require a minimum setback of (20+15=) 35 feet, and a fifty-foot-high structure would require a minimum setback of (20+45=) 65 feet.
(3)
From any property in the R-25 Zoning District, any new structure of up to 35 feet in height shall be set back a minimum of 25 feet. For any structure above 35 feet in height, up to a maximum total of 50 feet in height, such new structure shall be set back a minimum of an extra three feet for every foot of additional height above 35 feet. For example, a forty-foot-high structure would require a minimum setback of (25+15=) 40 feet, and a fifty-foot-high structure would require a minimum setback of (25+45=) 70 feet.
(4)
From any property in a neighboring municipality, any new structure of up to 35 feet in height shall be set back a minimum of the rear yard setback distance for the zoning district in such municipality. For any structure above 35 feet in height, up to a maximum total of 50 feet in height, such new structure shall be set back a minimum of an extra three feet for every foot of additional height above 35 feet.
D.
Dimensional setbacks shall apply between the borders of the Senior Residential Village District and all accessory parking spaces as follows:
(1)
From Middle Highway, accessory parking shall be set back a minimum of 25 feet.
(2)
From any property in the R-10 Zoning District, accessory parking shall be set back a minimum of 20 feet.
(3)
From any property in the R-25 Zoning District, accessory parking shall be set back a minimum of 25 feet.
(4)
From any property in a neighboring municipality, accessory parking shall be set back a minimum of the rear yard setback distance for the zoning district in such municipality.
E.
The maximum building lot coverage shall be 35%. The maximum impervious surface coverage shall be 60%.