Northampton City Zoning Code
SECTION 3
Establishment of Districts
§ 350-3.1 Division into districts.
A.
The City of Northampton, Massachusetts, is hereby divided into zoning districts to be designated as follows:
Full Name | Short Name | Class | |
|---|---|---|---|
Rural Residence | RR | Residential "R" District | |
Suburban Residence | SR | Residential "R" District | |
Urban Residence A | URA | Residential "R" District | |
Urban Residence B | URB | Residential "R" District | |
Urban Residence C | URC | Residential "R" District | |
Water Supply Protection | WSP | Residential "R" District | |
Central Business - Core | CBC | Character-Based District | |
Central Business - Side | CBS | Character-Based District | |
Central Business - Gateway | CBG | Character-Based District | |
Florence Village - Center | FVC | Character-Based District | |
Florence Village - General | FVG | Character-Based District | |
General Business | GB | Business "B" District | |
Highway Business | HB | Business "B" District | |
Neighborhood Business | NB | Business "B" District | |
Medical | M | Medical "M" District | |
General Industry | GI | Industrial "I" District | |
Office Industrial | OI | Industrial "I" District | |
Special Conservancy-Flood Plain | SC | Conservancy "C" District | |
Planned Village | PV | Planned "P" District | |
Educational Use Overlay | EU-O | Overlay "O" District | |
Farms, Forests and Rivers | FFR | FFR "FFR" District | |
Water Supply Protection Overlay | WSP-O | Overlay "O" District | |
Floodplain Overlay | FP-O | Overlay "O" District | |
Sustainable Growth/Smart Growth Overlay | SG-O | Overlay "O" District | |
National Flood Insurance Program | NFIP-O | Overlay "O" District |
B.
Districts may be grouped by "class" and may be referred to herein by the class name or by the abbreviations such as "R Districts," "B Districts." "I Districts," "C Districts," or "O Districts."
§ 350-3.2 Special Conservancy Floodplain District.
The Special Conservancy Floodplain District is established as shown on the Zoning Map. See § 350-13.0.
§ 350-3.3 Overlay zoning districts.
Overlay "O" Districts are superimposed over the other districts shown on the Zoning Map, as recognition of the special conditions which exist in such areas. See §§ 350-14, 350-15, 350-20, and attachments for applicable regulations. When there are conflicts, the regulations for the overlay district supersede regulations for the underlying district.
§ 350-3.4 Zoning Map.
The location and boundaries of the Zoning Districts are hereby established as shown on a zoning map titled, "Northampton Assessors and Zoning Map," which is hereby declared to be a part of this chapter. The official copy of the Assessors and Zoning Map shall be located in Office of Planning and Sustainability.
§ 350-3.5 Changes to Zoning Map.
Prior to any changes in the location of boundaries of a zoning district hereafter made through the amendments of this chapter, the public hearing notice required by MGL c. 40A, § 5, shall be mailed to the owner of land proposed for rezoning, as shown on the most recent applicable tax list, at least 14 days before the public hearing. Said changes shall be indicated by the alteration of the Assessors and Zoning Map. The map thus altered is declared to be part the ordinance thus amended. The Office of Planning and Development shall be responsible for making changes to the Zoning Map at a scale of approximately one inch equals 100 feet and/or one inch equals 200 feet. A map showing zoning district boundaries and the location of individual Zoning Map sheets shall be included in the Zoning Map and shall be a part thereof, being titled, "Index Map." These maps collectively shall be the Zoning Map.
§ 350-3.6 Boundaries of districts.
Where any uncertainty exists with respect to the boundary of any district as shown on the Zoning Map and whenever a zoning boundary is shown running along the edge of a street, the following rules apply:
A.
Where a boundary is indicated as a street, alley, railroad, watercourse or other body of water, it shall be construed to be the center line or middle thereof, or where such boundary approximates a City boundary, then to the limits of the City boundary.
B.
Where a boundary is indicated as following approximately or parallel to a street, railroad, watercourse, or other body of water, it shall be construed to be parallel thereto and at such distance therefrom as shown on the Zoning Map. If no dimension is given, such distance shall be determined by the use of the scale shown on the Zoning Map.
C.
Where a dimensioned boundary coincides within 10 feet or less with a lot line, the boundary shall be construed to be the lot line.
D.
Where a zoning boundary is indicated as intersecting the center line of a street, railroad, watercourse or other water body, and unless it is otherwise indicated, it shall be construed to intersect at right angles to said center line or in the case of a curved center line, at right angles to the tangent to the curve at the point of intersection.
E.
The Floodplain, NFIP, and Water Supply Protection Districts are superimposed over any other districts established by this chapter. The rules for these superimposed (overlay) districts shall be in addition to, rather than in place of, the rules for such underlying other districts. The boundaries of these districts are shown on the Zoning Map and, for the Floodplain District, shall be interpreted as lying 100 feet horizontally from the normal high-water line of a stream, river or pond unless another dimension is otherwise apparent.