search icon

Dartmouth City Zoning Code

ARTICLE 33

Setbacks

§ 375-33.1 Purpose.

The purpose of lot setback requirements is to lessen congestion and overcrowding of lots, to provide access within the lot for general circulation and maintenance of the buildings located thereon, to provide access in the case of fire, and to lessen congestion and promote safety in adjacent streets.

§ 375-33.2 Minimum setback dimensions.

Any building or structure placed on a lot, whether temporary or permanent, shall meet the following minimum setback requirements:
A. 
Setback from street r-o-w lines or vehicular easement lines.
B. 
Setback from all other perimeter property lines (unless Subsection C applies).
C. 
Setback from all other perimeter property lines if the entire building or structure is eight feet or under in height (the average height of the roof, from the ground, can be 12 feet or under) and does not exceed 200 square feet in area.
D. 
Setback from residential districts.
Zoning Districts
A
B
C
D
Cluster Subdivisions
15
10
5
0
General Business
40
20
10
50
Neighborhood Business
40
20
10
50
Limited Business
10
10
10
10
Office Park
40
20
10
50
Limited Industrial
50
25
10
100
General Industrial
50
25
10
100
Maritime Industrial
50
25
10
100
The requirements of this article for Single Residence A, Single Residence B and General Residence are to be found in Article 7, Single Residence A Districts, Article 8, Single Residence B Districts, and Article 10, General Residence Districts.

§ 375-33.3 Intersection sight triangle setback.

At the intersection of streets, the corner lot shall not have any visual barrier placed in the triangle formed by a line connecting the two points 25 feet back from the intersection of the two street r-o-w lines and the lines of the r-o-w to the corner of the property. A visual barrier is an object or any group of objects which block the direct observation of approaching traffic between two feet and eight feet high. Fences of any type over two feet in height are prohibited.

§ 375-33.4 Exemptions.

A. 
Buildings or structures which are legally in existence prior to (time and date of Town Meeting vote) shall be considered to be in compliance with Article 33 and are allowed to expand along the setback line or lines of the existing building/structure to a point which intersects another existing setback line of the same building/structure or to a point that intersects the setback line defined in § 375-33.2. Expansions are prohibited into the intersection sight triangle setback or within five feet of any perimeter property line. Exempt expansions shall not exceed the height of the part of the existing structure/building being expanded except where otherwise allowed by zoning.
B. 
The setback of parking facilities is regulated by Article 24 of the Zoning Bylaw.
C. 
For the purposes of Article 33, fences, stonewalls, retaining walls and other boundary delineation structures six feet or under in height are exempt from these setback requirements, but are subject to the intersection sight triangle setback and the access zone requirement.