Where the existing development along a block amounts to more than 50% of the block frontage, and where said development has an average setback less than required by this chapter, then any vacant lot setback may be reduced to said average of the existing development.

Corner lots.

Through lots.

Projections into required setbacks/yards or other required open spaces are permitted subject to the following:

Height is measured from the vertical distance from the average finished grade, as measured by points at six foot intervals around the footprint of the building, to the top of the structure of the highest roof beams of a flat roof, the deck of a mansard roof or the mean level of the highest gable or slope of a hip roof.

The provisions of this chapter governing the height of buildings shall not apply to the following; however, these structures cannot be taller than 10 feet from the roof to which they are attached: chimneys, cooling towers, elevator bulkheads, skylights, ventilators, electronic equipment, elevator shafts and other necessary appurtenances usually carried above the roof; nor to domes, towers, stacks or spires, if not used for human occupancy and which occupy not more than 20% of the ground floor area of the building; nor to ornamental towers, observation towers, radio broadcasting towers, television and radio antennas and other like structures which do not occupy more than 20% of the lot area; nor to churches or public, agricultural or institutional buildings or private schools not conducted for profit that are primarily used for school purposes, provided that the proposed appurtenances are not located within the flight paths of an airport or heliport as defined by FAA regulations and approved by the FAA.

A half story is directly under a sloping roof where, in the case of a roof having one uniform degree of pitch (such as in gable, hipped, or shed roof types), the points of intersection of the bottom of the rafters and the interior faces of the exterior walls are less than two feet above the floor level on at least two opposite exterior walls.

Dormers may be constructed on the half story of a structure provided the length of the dormer(s), as measured along the lowest bearing points of the dormer(s) on the rafters of the sloping roof, does not exceed 50% of the length of the sloping roof to which it is attached, otherwise the floor is considered a full story. There may be more than one dormer provided the total sum of the horizontal length of the dormers does not exceed 50% of the length of the sloping roof to which they are attached. Dormers shall be set back at least two feet from the gable ends of a sloping roof, and the roof overhang shall be maintained throughout existing structures or established below the dormer in the case of new structures.

If a mezzanine floor area exceeds 1/3 of the area of the floor immediately below, it shall be deemed a story.

A basement shall be deemed a story when:

Where off-street parking spaces required by this chapter are located underground and under the building served by the parking, the maximum building coverage may be increased above the percentage limit. This increase shall represent an increase in building area up to the area of the parking spaces which are put underground.

Open space is the space on a lot not covered by buildings, structures, or impervious surfaces, unobstructed to the sky by man-made objects and expressed as a percentage of total lot area.

Parking and loading spaces cannot count towards the open space requirement.

No more than 20% of the building front yard on residential properties with three or fewer dwelling units shall be covered with an impervious surface.

The lot width is measured at the horizontal distance between the side lot lines at the minimum front setback required by this chapter and parallel to the street line.

The lot must comply with the required width on every portion of the lot where a principal structure is located.

Frontage is measured between the intersection of the side lot lines along a street. In the case of a corner lot, frontage shall include the combined linear footage of the boundary between the lot and any abutting streets that intersect with one another.

A circle, the diameter of which is not less than 80% of the required minimum lot frontage and is tangent to the street lot line at any point, must be able to fit within all other lot lines.

The acute angle measured between the frontage and any side lot line shall not be less than 55°.

Lot depth is the mean horizontal distance between the front lot line and the rear lot line or for a corner lot the distance between the front lot line and the lot line opposite the front lot line.

At least 60% of the lot area required for zoning compliance shall be contiguous land other than land located in a wetland, as defined in MGL c. 131, § 40, or land located under a brook, creek, stream, river, pond or lake.

The lot or yard areas required for any new building or use may not include any part of a lot that is required by any other building or use to comply with any provisions of this chapter, nor may these areas include any property of which the ownership has been transferred subsequent to the effective date of this chapter if such property was a part of the area required for compliance with the dimensional regulations applicable to the lot from which such transfer was made.

Lots shall not be separated or transferred in ownership so as not to comply with the provisions of this chapter.

The purposes of this section is:

The provisions of this section shall be applicable to all zoning districts in the City of Melrose. Exempted from this section shall be:

For the purposes of this section, the term "natural" shall be defined as the condition of the ground surface as it exists on the date this section is adopted.

No land may be regraded or filled in such manner as to circumvent this section.

All areas with natural slopes exceeding 25% over a horizontal distance of 30 feet on a tract or parcel of land intended or proposed for subdivision or development, or on a lot intended for building purposes, shall be excluded from the calculation of the minimum lot area required for the applicable zoning district.

All natural slopes exceeding 25% over a horizontal distance of 30 feet are protected and shall remain in their natural state.

The Planning Board may grant a special permit to utilize areas with natural slopes exceeding 25%, as prohibited in Subsection C, if they find that the proposal satisfies the purposes of this section above as well as the general special permit findings in § 235-3.2.5 of this chapter.

Slope protection special permit application materials shall be found in the Rules and Regulations for the Planning Board.

If an applicant receives a special permit pursuant to this section to utilize slopes exceeding 25%, then a variance from this chapter will not be necessary for insufficient lot area, unless the entire lot area, including the area of slope exceeding 25%, is insufficient for building purposes under this chapter.