Compliance with ordinance: No land, building or premises, or part thereof, shall hereafter be used, and no building or part thereof, or other structure, shall be constructed, reconstructed, extended, enlarged, moved or altered except in conformity with this ordinance. No lot shall have an area, width or a front, side or rear yard less than that set forth in the applicable paragraph hereof, except as otherwise specifically provided in this ordinance. No building or buildings shall occupy in the aggregate a greater percentage of lot area, nor be greater in height, than as set forth in the applicable paragraph hereof, except as otherwise specifically provided in this ordinance.

Dimensional Regulation Schedule: See "Appendix B" for the Dimensional Regulation Schedule.[1]

Reduction of lot area or dimensions: No lot shall be diminished, nor shall any yard, court, or any other open space be reduced, except in conformity with this ordinance.

One building per lot: Not more than one principal building shall be erected on a lot unless each such building is served by access determined by the Building Inspector, after consultation with the Planning Board, to be functionally equivalent to that required under the Rules and Regulations Governing the Subdivision of Land in North Adams. In addition not more than one residential structure shall be erected on a single lot except by special permit from the Planning Board upon a determination that each building will have access which is functionally equivalent to that required under the Rules and Regulations Governing the Subdivision of Land in North Adams.

Buildings to have access on street: Every dwelling or principal building hereafter erected or moved shall be on a lot having frontage on a street as defined in Section 13, Definitions.

Required lot frontage: No building shall be built on any lot unless such lot has the required frontage.

Open space required for each building: Except as specifically provided herein, no part of any yard or other open space required about any building may be included as part of a yard or other open space required for any other building.

Projection into open spaces: Nothing in this ordinance shall prohibit the projection of not more than one foot into a required open space of pilaster, columns, belt courses, sills, cornices, or other similar architectural features, nor the planting or landscaping of such open spaces except as provided in Section 4.11 herein.

Density of residential use: In no case shall the number of sleeping accommodations exceed three per unit of land area appearing under the heading "minimum lot area per dwelling unit" in residential districts, rural districts and in all other areas of the City not serviced by public sewer. In commercial districts, the total number of sleeping accommodations on any lot shall not exceed seven for each unit of land area appearing under the heading "minimum lot area per dwelling unit" in the table applicable to the district in which such lot is located.[2]

Accessory buildings: Accessory buildings, attached or detached, may be located upon the lot, so as not to encroach upon any required front, side or rear yard. Detached accessory buildings not more than 12 feet in height and not used for human habitation or for the housing of animals may be located in the required rear yard, and in so much of the required side yard as lies not less than 75 feet from any street line, provided that they are not less than four feet from any side or rear lot line and provided further that they occupy in the aggregate not more than 20% of the area of the required rear yard. By agreement of the owners of adjacent lots, accessory buildings, with the same limitation of use, height and area, may be located in the required rear yard on the lot line, provided that the party or other walls on the lot line are of masonry construction.

Obstructions at street intersections: No fence, wall, hedge, shrubbery or other obstruction to vision in excess of three feet in height shall be placed or allowed to grow at street intersections within the area formed by a line joining points on each front lot line 20 feet from the intersection of the tangents of such streets.

Use of land for access or parking: The use of land for access to or for parking in connection with a use shall be considered to be accessory to and part of such use, except that this provision shall not prohibit access across a commercial district to a use lying in an industrial district.

Lots adjacent to a railroad: In the case of that portion of a lot in a district other than a residence district, where contiguous to a railroad right-of-way, no rear yard shall be required.

Lots on Hoosac River: In the case of lots bordering the Hoosac River or either branch thereof, no building shall be built nearer than 15 feet from the bank of the river, as established by the City Engineer, and no land within such distance shall be filled in any manner to obstruct the flow of the river at any time.

Required buffer areas for commercial districts: In cases when the site abuts a residential district a buffer area shall be provided. Such buffer shall not be less than 25 feet in width and planted with evergreens in no fewer than two rows no further than 15 feet apart along each row, staggered to provide maximum screening, and using trees not less than five feet in height at time of planting. The Building Inspector may require additional buffer width or area or more mature plantings if unusual conditions demand more extensive screening. Such buffer areas are not required for frontage on a road. The approved planting plan must be effectuated before a certificate of occupancy is issued. If construction is completed during a non-planting season, a bond or certified check for an amount to cover planting costs, as determined by the City Engineer, shall be posted with the Treasurer of the City of North Adams.

Outside storage: Except for the off-street parking of vehicles of customers and employees, the outside storage of goods, equipment and vehicles shall not exceed in ground area coverage more than 50% of the coverage of the building or buildings and shall be suitably screened from view from the public highway and adjoining property by appropriate fencing, grading or landscaping.

In the CBD Zone, the Planning Board may, by special permit, eliminate or modify the Maximum Front Setback requirement. The foregoing shall not apply to any portion of a front yard on Main Street.