Norton City Zoning Code
ARTICLE IV
Use Regulations
§ 175-4.1 Permitted uses.
[Amended 10-17-2020 STM by Art. 4
In each district, except Village Commercial and Village Center Core, only the principal and the accessory uses enumerated herein and the uses necessarily or customarily incidental and accessory to such permitted principal uses shall be permitted, including without limitation the accessory signs and off-street parking in accordance with the provisions of the bylaw, and subject to applicable conditions and limitations. In the Village Commercial District and Village Center Core District, more than one principal use is allowed on a single lot, subject to applicable dimensional regulations. Streets, public sewer facilities, public wastewater pumping stations and easements for public services are permitted uses in all districts. In the Village Center Core District, no dwelling unit nor any internal space associated with a dwelling unit shall occupy any ground floor portion of a building facing onto a street, public plaza, or other space customarily used by the public. Ground floor residential dwelling units shall be located on the rear of buildings, adjacent to any required parking and private open space associated with and serving those units. No more than 40% of the ground floor gross floor area ( GFA) shall be used for residential purposes, of which not more than 15% of said GFA shall be associated with or incidental to, required entries, stairs or elevator towers, or other purposes related to the residential use.
Y | Use permitted within the district (Uses allowed by right may require a special permit if they are above certain thresholds. See Article XV, Site Plan Review.) |
|---|---|
N | Use not permitted within the district |
SP | Special permit needed for use within the district |
§ 175-4.2 Residential uses.
[Amended 5-15-2019 ATM by Art. 16; 10-17-2020 STM by Art. 4]
Principal Uses | Zoning Districts Allowed Uses | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
R-80 | R-60 | R-40 | VC | VCC | C | I | |
Single-family dwelling | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | N | N |
Single-family dwelling with accessory apartment, provided that the appearance of a single-family home is maintained and Board of Health requirements are met | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | N | N |
Duplex | SP | SP | SP | SP | N | N | N |
Common driveway | SP | SP | SP | SP | Y | SP | SP |
Multifamily dwelling (excluding cluster development) | N | N | SP | SP | N | N | N |
Top-of-the-shop housing | N | N | N | Y | Y | N | N |
Cluster development | SP | SP | SP | N | N | N | N |
Housing for the elderly | SP | SP | SP | SP | SP | SP | N |
Tourist or rooming house | SP | SP | SP | Y | SP | N | N |
Bed-and-breakfast | SP | SP | SP | Y | Y | Y | N |
Mobile home park | N | N | N | N | N | N | N |
Mobile home (temporary) | SP | SP | SP | SP | N | N | N |
Institutional, educational facilities | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
Religious facilities | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
Hospitals, nursing or convalescent homes | SP | SP | SP | SP | N | SP | N |
Public or government buildings or uses | SP | SP | SP | Y | Y | Y | N |
Private nursery school, day-care center | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
Nonprofit, membership-owned health or recreational club, including country club serving residents of Norton | N | N | N | Y | SP | Y | N |
Fraternal lodge or other nonprofit civic use serving residents of Norton | N | N | N | Y | SP | Y | N |
§ 175-4.3 Open space, agriculture and recreation uses.
[Amended 5-14-2018 ATM by Art. 21; 5-15-2019 ATM by Art. 16; 10-17-2020 STM by Art. 4
Principal Uses | Zoning Districts Allowed Uses | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
R-80 | R-60 | R-40 | VC | VCC | C | I | |
Public parks, playgrounds | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N |
Horticulture, floriculture and minor agriculture | Y | Y | Y | Y | N1 | Y | Y |
Cemetery | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y |
Recreational day camp | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | N |
Public recreation areas | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N |
Passive outdoor recreational noncommercial uses such as parks, beaches, picnic groves, camping and other similar uses | SP | SP | SP | SP | SP | SP | N |
Golf course | SP | SP | SP | SP | N | SP | N |
Health or recreational club | N | N | N | SP | SP | Y | SP |
Outdoor lighting for nonresidential use in excess of 30 feet in height | SP | SP | SP | SP | N | SP | SP |
Farms, orchards, nursery, greenhouse agriculture and tree farms | Y | Y | Y | Y | N1 | Y | Y |
Farms, livestock (excluding swine), horses, poultry, and rabbits if confined or caged (over 50) on 5 or more acres | Y | Y | Y | Y | N1 | Y | Y |
Farms, livestock (excluding swine), horses, poultry, and rabbits if confined or caged (over 50) on less than 5 acres | Y | SP | SP | N | N1 | N | N |
Rabbits and poultry, confined or caged (50 or under), on 5 acres or more | Y | Y | Y | Y | N1 | Y | Y |
Rabbits and adult hens (not roosters) confined or caged (12 or under) for personal use on less than 5 acres | Y | Y | Y | SP | N | SP | SP |
Rabbits and poultry, confined or caged (13 to 50), on less than 5 acres | Y | SP | SP | SP | N | SP | SP |
Kennel, veterinary hospital | Y | N | N | SP | N | Y | SP |
Roadside stands for agricultural, horticultural products, a major portion of which is grown on the premises by resident proprietor | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
Notes: |
1 Agricultural uses meeting the requirements of MGL. c. 40A, § 3 and MGL c. 128, § 1A shall be allowed. |
§ 175-4.4 Commercial uses.
[Amended 5-14-2018 ATM by Art. 22; 5-15-2019 ATM by Art. 16; 10-17-2020 STM by Art. 4; 10-17-2020 STM by Art. 6; 6-7-2022 ATM by Art. 13]
Principal Uses | Zoning Districts Allowed Uses | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
R-80 | R-60 | R-40 | VC | VCC | C | I | |
Administrative, professional offices | N | N | N | Y | Y | Y | Y |
Banks, financial institutions | N | N | N | Y | Y | Y | Y |
Retail stores, shops, trade services | N | N | N | Y | Y | Y | Y |
Medical, dental offices and clinics | N | N | N | Y | Y | Y | Y |
Computer programming and software services, including data banks and retrieval | N | N | N | Y | N | Y | Y |
Conference center | N | N | N | Y | Y | Y | Y |
Corporate, administrative or business offices for companies principally engaged in life sciences | N | N | N | Y | Y | Y | Y |
Home craftsman shops (no employees) | SP | SP | SP | Y | N | Y | N |
Hotel, motel | N | N | N | SP | SP | Y | Y |
New or used cars, trailer or boat sales | N | N | N | N | N | Y | Y |
Funeral home | N | N | N | SP | N | Y | N |
Home occupation-professional offices except veterinary, provided that no more than 3 persons are employed in addition to resident and that no more than 25% of the total floor area is devoted to such office | SP | SP | SP | Y | N | Y | N |
Home occupation-custom work in home or accessory building by resident with no more than 1 other person regularly employed and not more than 25% of floor area regularly devoted to such use and there is no exterior storage or display of products, materials, or equipment | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y1 | Y | N |
Home occupation-including professional offices, provided there are no employees other than residents and there is no visible exterior storage of products, materials or equipment | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y1 | Y | N |
Repair and service shops, including auto repair, provided that work is done in an enclosed building and there is no long-term outside storage of wrecked cars, and including welding, auto body repair, soldering and painting incidental to automobile repair | N | N | N | Y | N | Y | Y |
Electronic message center (EMC) | N | N | N | SP | SP | SP | SP |
Wholesale offices, showrooms with no on-site storage | N | N | N | Y | SP | Y | Y |
Bus or railroad terminal, passenger station | N | N | N | Y | N | Y | Y |
Commercial parking facilities | N | N | N | Y | SP | Y | Y |
Gasoline filling/service station, car wash | N | N | N | SP | N | Y | Y |
Commercial recreational facilities, tennis and other playing courts, not including drive-in theaters, and no less than 150 feet from nearest residential boundary | N | N | N | SP | N | Y | Y |
Restaurants, night clubs and other places serving food or beverages | N | N | N | Y | Y | Y | Y |
Drive-through facility | N | N | N | SP | N | SP | SP |
Artisan food and beverage | N | N | N | Y | Y | Y | Y |
Artisan manufacturing | N | N | N | Y | Y | Y | Y |
Small scale indoor recreation | N | N | N | Y | Y | Y | Y |
Wireless communication facility (located on a monopole) | N | N | N | N | N | SP | SP |
Wireless communication facility (on existing structure, excluding monopole) | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
Body art establishment | N | N | N | N | N | N | SP |
Adult entertainment, including adult motion-picture theaters, adult bookstores and activities defined in MGL c. 272, § 31 | N | N | N | N | N | N | SP* |
Medical Marijuana Treatment Center (MTC) | N | N | N | N | SP+ | SP+ | SP+ |
SP | SP | SP | SP | SP | SP | SP | |
Marijuana Establishment, excluding "Social Consumption Establishments" of any kind, including private social clubs, exercise or holistic studios or facilities and all other private entities | N | N | N | N | SP+ | SP+ | SP+ |
Marijuana Establishment, "Social Consumption Establishments" of any kind, including private social clubs, exercise or holistic studios or facilities and all other private entities | N | N | N | N | N | N | N |
Notes: |
* If 1,000 feet from all other zoning districts and cemeteries and 500 feet from like uses. |
+Only areas designated on Marijuana Overlay District. |
1Parking is subject to verification and approval by the Inspector of Buildings/Building Commissioner and Planning Director. |
§ 175-4.5 Industrial uses.
[Amended 5-15-2019 ATM by Art. 19; 10-17-2020 STM by Art. 4; 6-7-2022 ATM by Art. 13]
Principal Uses | Zoning Districts Allowed Uses | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
R-80 | R-60 | R-40 | VC | VCC | C | I | |
Research, technical laboratories, including life sciences | N | N | N | SP | N | SP | Y |
Warehouse, storage and distribution facilities | N | N | N | SP | N | SP | Y |
Wholesale distribution of food and beverage | N | N | N | SP | N | SP | Y |
Wholesale offices or showrooms with storage on premises | N | N | N | SP | N | SP | Y |
Sale or rental of new or used construction or materials handling equipment, farm implements and machinery | N | N | N | N | N | SP | Y |
Light processing and fabrication | N | N | N | N | N | SP | Y |
Factories, manufacturing firms | N | N | N | N | N | N | Y |
Machine-intensive processing, fabrication and assembly | N | N | N | N | N | N | Y |
Manufacturing, assembly, compounding, packaging and distribution for companies principally engaged in life sciences | N | N | N | N | N | SP | Y |
Auto body repair, paint, soldering or welding shop | N | N | N | N | N | N | Y |
Earth removal | SP | SP | SP | SP | SP | SP | SP |
SP | SP | SP | SP | N | SP | SP | |
Large-scale, ground-mounted solar photovoltaic installations (See Article XXII, § 175-22.3A) | – | – | – | – | N | – | – |
Digital/electronic billboard | N | N | N | N | N | SP | |
§ 175-4.6 Prohibited uses.
Any use which would be harmful, detrimental, hazardous, offensive, or would tend to reduce property values in the district where it is located by reason of excessive dust, dirt, glare, odor, fumes, smoke, refuse, noise, vibration, electric or electronic interference, air or water pollution, danger of explosion, radiation, fire or any other reason is hereby prohibited, whether or not enumerated around the uses otherwise permitted in any district.
§ 175-4.7 Solid waste disposal facilities.
Referencing Section 10 of the Solid Waste Act of 1987, no facility as defined in MGL c. 111, § 150A, as amended, shall be permitted, sited, or expanded within the Town of Norton, unless such facility is entirely within a locus zoned for industrial use and unless said facility is not prohibited by the ordinances and bylaws of the Town of Norton in effect as of July 1, 1987, and unless all permits and licenses required by law have been issued to the proposed operator. In addition, no such facility located on a locus zoned for industrial use shall be permitted, sited, or expanded if such locus is, in whole or in part, located within recharge areas of surface drinking water supplies as shall be reasonably defined by rules and regulations of the Department of Environmental Quality Engineering, or within areas subject to MGL c. 131, § 40, and the regulations promulgated thereunder, as amended, or within areas within the zone of contribution of existing or potential public supply wells as defined by said department. Any facility located in an industrial zone shall require a special permit issued by the special permit granting authority after public hearing; said special permit shall be issued for a term not to exceed 24 months, and shall impose reasonable conditions on the construction and operation of the facility, which shall include prior site approval from the Board of Health. Said special permit shall be renewable after hearing, subject to such reasonable conditions on the operation of the facility as the special permit granting authority shall then impose, for additional terms not to exceed 24 months each. Whereas such a facility was prohibited throughout the Town of Norton under other ordinances and bylaws in effect on July 1, 1987, nothing herein shall be construed to allow such a facility in a locus zoned for industrial use before or after July 1, 1987. The provisions of this bylaw shall be severable, and the invalidity of any provision hereof shall not invalidate any other provision.
§ 175-4.8 Special permits for certain uses.
A special permit shall be required for the construction of any commercial or industrial building which equals or exceeds 10,000 square feet in area; for any addition to an existing building which causes the building to equal or exceed 10,000 square feet in area; and for the construction of any additional freestanding building which causes all combined buildings to equal or exceed 10,000 square feet in area. In addition, once 10,000 square or more of combined square footage has received a special permit, a further special permit shall be required each time that an addition or new building is proposed that would result in new square footage of 5,000 square feet or more. In any case, where an addition or new building is less than 1,000 square feet in area, a special permit will not be required irrespective of the combined total area.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: Former § 175-4.9, Temporary moratorium on recreational marijuana establishments, added 10-23-2017 FTM by Art. 25, which immediately followed this subsection, was repealed 5-8-2021 ATM by Art. 14.