SPGA. In the GU Districts reference to SPGA means the ZBA for projects subject to Special Permit approval and the Building Inspector for projects not subject to Special Permit approval.

State Highway. In the case of a lot with street frontage on a state highway requiring access from the state highway, no building, structure or other lot improvements shall be erected or placed on the lot until the state issues a permit or license to enter the state highway for the use proposed for the lot.

General. To promote public safety at street intersections in all Districts, nothing, except as provided below shall be allowed to obstruct vision between a height of three (3') feet and eight (8') feet above the finished surfaces of the street within a triangular area formed by the street lines twenty (20') feet distant from their point of intersection or in the case of a rounded corner the point of intersection of such lines as projected.

Exemptions. The following are exempt:

General. All buildings or structures shall be provided with sufficient off-street parking space to meet the needs of persons employed at or making use of such buildings or structures; to reduce hazards and nuisance to pedestrians and abutters; to reduce congestion in the street and contribute to traffic safety. Nonresidential uses shall comply with these standards.

Required Parking Spaces. Off-street parking facilities, including but not limited to those in the General Use and Commercial Development Districts shall be provided for each type of use in accordance with the following Table. See Section 6.6 for requirements in the Business District and Section 8.3 for requirements in the Development Opportunities District. Off-street parking facilities shall comply with applicable State Laws for handicap parking.

Common Parking. Common Parking Areas may be approved by the SPGA and be used for two or more uses, if the total space provided is not less than the sum of the spaces required for each use individually. The SPGA may reduce the number of spaces required to be built in a common parking facility up to one-half such sum, if it can be demonstrated to the satisfaction of the SPGA that the hours or days of peak parking needed for the uses are so different that a lower total will provide adequately for all uses served by the facility. However the land area necessary to allow the construction of the remainder of the required parking spaces shall be reserved on each lot as open space; provided that reserved area shall not be used for purposes of calculating a lot's compliance with the minimum open space requirements set forth herein and provided further that the reserved area if built as a parking area would fully comply with the requirements of this Bylaw. Change in use, major alteration or change in characteristics of existing use which in the opinion of the Zoning Enforcement Officer will result in material change in the conditions for common parking originally approved by the SPGA shall require a Special Permit. The SPGA may then require construction of all or a portion of the reserved parking spaces.

Multiple Principal Uses. In the event of multiple uses, the number of spaces required shall be based on the sum total number required for each use combined.

Same Lot. Required off-street parking facilities shall be provided on the same lot or premises as the principal use that they are intended to serve, unless a common parking area is allowed by the SPGA.

Other Parking. Parking areas for vans, buses or other vehicles shall be provided if necessary in connection with a proposed use. Said parking spaces for vans, buses or other vehicles shall not be included in the minimum number of parking spaces.

No Backing Out. Parking areas shall be designed to prevent the necessity of any vehicles backing into a common access drive or street.

Right of Way. No parking area stalls or aisles shall be laid out on land that is reserved as any type of vehicular right of way, including right of way for multiple businesses.

Dimensional Standards. Parking Areas shall comply with the following dimensional standards:

Special Permit. The SPGA may adjust any of the requirements of this section by special permit where it finds that such adjustment will not be substantially detrimental to safety. The SPGA may require the establishment of a reserve area where a reduction in the number of spaces is authorized.

General. Landscaping of the lots shall be attractive and shall provide definite spatial separation between lots, parking areas and buildings. Landscaping shall also be designed to ornament and accent the individual buildings with plants sized in scale with the buildings at time of planting.

Front Setback. Landscaping within the twenty five (25') foot front setback shall include a soil berm a minimum two (2') feet and maximum three (3') feet in height to be sufficiently planted as to visually screen parked cars. Along all streets and common access drives, the front yard setback shall contain at least four (4) trees for each one hundred fifty (150') feet of frontage of a lot.

Side and Rear Setback Areas. Areas between lots including all side and rear setbacks shall be attractively landscaped with a mixture of evergreen trees, shrubs, flowering ornamental trees and shade trees. Natural (existing) vegetation may be retained to buffer and landscape these areas with the approval of the SPGA if the natural vegetation is of a quality to provide for an attractive buffer or planting area equal in quality to nursery grown stock.

Plantings. Landscaped areas of the lots shall be planted with grass as a base rather than large islands of mulch. Mulched planting beds should be used minimally and only in conjunction with flowers, shrubs or similar plant material. Areas of steep slopes shall be planted with meadow grass or other stabilizing ground cover as approved by the SPGA so that no soil erosion will occur. Plant material shall be in conformance with the "American Standard for Nursery Stock" ANSI Z60.1 latest edition and be of adequate height or size upon planting to achieve the required landscaping, buffering or screening effect at time of planting. Shade trees shall be a minimum 2.5" caliper (measured at six (6") inch height) and have a minimum branching height of six (6') feet. Planting shall be in accordance with MADOT Standard Specifications. No pavement shall be placed within a four (4') foot radius of the trunk.

Maintenance. All areas not under impervious cover must be maintained with either natural or cultivated, living plant material. However, up to five (5%) percent of gross landscaped area may be permeable, non-organic cover, such as gravel, that may be considered open space in the impervious area calculation; this area shall not be used for vehicle or equipment parking.

Unsightly Areas. All outdoor areas used for the storage of wastes, salvage materials, unregistered or disabled motor vehicles, construction equipment or bulk materials that are not for sale, shall be screened in a manner which restricts the view of such areas from public streets and adjacent structures. Such screening shall consist of durable evergreen vegetation or solid fencing of a type suitable to the area.

Parking Area Landscaping. For all parking areas the following shall apply:

Shade Trees. In addition to trees required within landscaped islands and landscaped medians shade trees shall also be provided every forty (40') feet along the perimeter of all parking areas and driveways for the purpose of providing shade.

Access. Driveways and walks are permissible in the front setback area to provide necessary and reasonable access to the site for vehicles and pedestrians.

Street Setback Screening. Screening consisting of natural vegetation or planted landscape materials consisting of a combination of trees, shrubs and grasses to visually screen the proposed use, shall be provided to a depth of not less than one hundred fifty (150') feet from the street line to cover the entire street frontage of the lot. Driveways and walkways are permissible for convenience of use.

Property Line Setback Buffering. Earth berms, walls and/or fencing combined with landscaping may be required by the SPGA within the 150' front, side and rear setback areas to control noise, lights and dust and to buffer and screen industrial and manufacturing uses and other incompatible uses from any nearby residential properties and to protect the visual character and natural resources of the town. Earth berms, where used, should vary in width and height throughout their length in order to achieve topographical relief and to appear to occur naturally.

General. The following shall apply:

General Requirements. See Section 8.3 for sign regulations in the Development Opportunities District.

Business District Signs. The purpose of this section is to provide standards for the installation of signs affixed to buildings or structures or placed on building grounds so as to preserve the aesthetic and historic appearance of the Business District, promote economic development, protect property values and reduce traffic safety hazards. Signs should be of the type traditionally used in a typical New England Downtown. The Site Plan Approval Authority (SPAA) shall assure that signs are appropriate for the district. The following rules shall apply in the Business District.

Commercial Development District Signs. The following rules shall apply in the Commercial Development Districts.

Residence Districts. The following rules shall apply in the Residence Districts. Signs are permitted for: