North Reading City Zoning Code

Provide housing for the benefit of senior citizens in order to meet the goal of preserving municipal character and diversity;

Allow aging residents to have housing opportunities within the Town;

Provide a full range of housing choices within the Town; and

Vitalize the historic town center.

This Senior Housing Overlay Article applies to property placed within the Senior Housing Overlay District and shall include the following parcels of land situated on the southerly side of Park Street, North Reading, MA, that are listed below and are shown on the Zoning Map as set forth on the map entitled "Compiled Plan of Land in North Reading, Mass.; Hayes Engineering, Inc.; Scale: 1"=40'; February 2, 2021; Showing Area to be Re-zoned to Senior Housing Overlay District North Reading Senior Housing Overlay District Map." Said map is on file with the Community Planning Department. The Senior Housing Overlay District is hereby established as an overlay district.

The Community Planning Commission is the special permit granting authority for a senior housing development and may grant a special permit for a senior housing development that conforms to the provisions of this article and the applicable provisions of § 200-28.

A senior housing development project requires site plan review [Article XVII], which can be conducted concurrently with the senior housing development special permit process.

In addition to the uses allowed by right and by special permit in the underlying zoning district, a senior housing development is permitted in the Senior Housing Overlay District by special permit from the Community Planning Commission. The development may include one-family, two-family and multi-family dwellings. One occupant in each residential unit must be 55 years old or older.

Mixed use including offices, retail or personal and consumer services may be allowed provided that the Community Planning Commission specifically finds them compatible with the senior housing development.

Size of site: The site on which the senior housing development is located must contain at least four acres of total land area. Separate lots may be merged to meet this requirement.

Frontage: The site on which the senior housing development is located must have at least 250 feet of frontage. Separate lots may be merged to meet this requirement.

Site coverage: Buildings shall not cover more than 40% of the site.

Open space: Minimum open space (being the portion of the site not occupied by buildings, parking, garages and driveways) shall be at least 20% of the total site area.

Multiple buildings: Multiple buildings are allowed on the site. The minimum distance between principal buildings shall be 20 feet, but covered walkways, pergolas and similar features are allowed between buildings. There is no maximum gross floor area.

Building height: No building shall exceed 45 feet in height.

Setbacks: Any new building used for senior housing units shall be set back 25 feet from the front lot line, 20 feet from each side lot line and 20 feet from the rear lot line.

Proximity to public amenities: The site on which the senior housing development is to be located must be within 250 feet of a public park or public common or public library to which the residents would have walking access.

Maximum number of units: A senior housing development shall not contain more than 50 dwelling units.

Bedrooms per unit: No dwelling unit shall have more than two bedrooms.

Local Preference: As part of the special permitting process, the applicant shall submit a local preference plan for review by the Community Planning Commission with input from the Select Board. The plan may provide that before new market-rate units (meaning non-Affordable Housing Units) are sold to the general public, the following persons will be allowed an opportunity to contract with the developer to purchase a market-rate unit: Current or former residents of the Town, employees of the Town, and a parent, child, or sibling of a resident of the Town. A local preference plan shall provide for advanced local public notice at the developer's expense of the local preference plan and the availability of units. To the extent allowed by law, such plan may be made a condition of a special permit issued pursuant to this Article and shall be implemented accordingly.

On-site amenities: The senior housing development must include some common area features for senior residents, such as a common meeting-socializing room or a low-impact exercise course that the Community Development Commission deems suitable.

Residential parking spaces required: 1.75 parking spaces per dwelling unit.

Commercial parking spaces required: one space per 300 square feet of gross floor area so used.

Parking spaces sizes: Indoor parking garage spaces shall be a minimum of 9 feet by 18 feet. Outdoor parking spaces shall meet requirements in § 200-4, definitions.

No parking shall be allowed within any required setback.

The Community Planning Commission may waive the requirements of § 200-74G and H.

As used in this article, the words "affordable homeownership unit," "affordable housing," "affordable housing restriction," "DHCD," and "eligible household" shall have the same definitions as are contained in § 200-103B of the Zoning Bylaw. Affordable homeownership units must meet DHCD housing quality standards.

As a condition of approval for a senior housing development special permit, 15% of the residential units created in the senior housing development shall be affordable homeownership units in perpetuity. If the affordable housing calculation results in a fraction of a unit, the fraction shall be rounded to the nearest whole number.

Each affordable homeownership unit shall be subject to an affordable housing restriction in accordance with § 200-108E, and the initial purchase price for that affordable homeownership unit shall meet the criteria of § 200-108C(1)(b) and shall comply with applicable DHCD regulations as to for-sale affordable units.

Affordable units shall meet the requirements of the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) Local Initiative Program (LIP) for inclusion on the Chapter 40B Subsidized Housing Inventory.

The Community Planning Commission shall administer this section and shall promulgate submission requirements and procedures, minimum requirements for a marketing plan, and documentation required by the Town to qualify the affordable housing units for listing on the Chapter 40B Subsidized Housing Inventory.

To the extent permissible by applicable law and provided such preference does not disqualify such affordable homeownership units from being included as affordable units on the DHCD Subsidized Housing Inventory for North Reading, nondiscriminatory local preference may be applied to the selection of purchasers of affordable homeownership units to qualified persons who are current or former residents of the Town, are employees of the Town, or are a parent, child or sibling of a resident of the Town. The local preference criteria shall be set by the Community Planning Commission with the approval of the Select Board.

The sale price for affordable homeownership units shall be determined in accordance with the Local Initiative Program regulations of the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) at 760 CMR 45.00[1] or any successor regulations or program of DHCD establishing guidelines for moderate-income housing programs that qualify under MGL Chapter 40B.