Sharon City Zoning Code

No building in any district shall be erected, altered, enlarged, extended, reconstructed, raised or moved and no lot shall be created or changed in size or shape except in conformity with the Tables of Dimensional Regulations, Table 2, unless exempted by this bylaw or the Zoning Act.

See Table 2.[1]

It shall be the purpose of these regulations to prevent the subdivision of properties into irregularly shaped lots which undermine the intent of this bylaw, as well as to prevent the creation of lots which are so distorted in configuration as to be detrimental to public health, safety, welfare, convenient and harmonious development and use of the land, or future clarity of ownership and identification of property lines. The provisions of § 4.1.3.3, 4, and 5 hereof do not apply to Business District D.

Building setback requirements shall apply to enclosed porches, decks, pergolas, carports, and cantilevered stories, to fences (except Business and LI districts) exceeding six feet in height, to swimming pools exceeding two feet in depth and 250 square feet in surface area, and to all structures other than the above fences, a wall or other customary yard accessory (tennis or basketball court). Basement bulkheads, and stairs which serve as a means of egress shall be exempt from setback requirements.

No structures, fence, parking space, planting or sign shall be maintained between a plane 2 1/2 feet above curb level and a plane seven feet above curb level so as to interfere with traffic visibility across the corner within a triangle bounded by the adjacent street sidelines and a straight line drawn between points on such lot line 30 feet from the intersection of the street sidelines or extension thereof. Poles, posts, guys for street lights and other utility services, and tree trunks bare of leaves and branches shall not be considered obstructions to vision within the meaning of this provision.

All driveways shall be constructed to provide adequate access for all emergency vehicles as determined by the Town Engineer and Fire Chief. Driveways shall not exceed a grade of 10% unless either a special waiver or a service disclaimer is obtained from the Fire Chief.

In any residential district, the minimum frontage and the minimum lot width may be reduced to 25 feet, and the requirement in § 4.1.3.4 may be waived, provided that the lot conforms to each of the following:

In Business Districts A, C, and D and in the Professional District, minimum separation between buildings on the same lot is 10 feet, except no separation is required where two buildings are separated by a fire wall meeting the requirements of the Massachusetts State Building Code. In those districts, no separation is required where two buildings are separated by a fire wall and there is a multi-year development agreement between the two property owners and the building offers aesthetic value and architectural interest.

In the Business District A, any required front setback may only be used for landscaping, public seating, circulation, signage and drives, consistent with the Post Office Square Design Guidelines. The Planning Board, during site plan review, and/or the Zoning Board of Appeals, during special permit review, may increase the front yard setback if this is necessary to provide public area for pedestrian circulation and seating.

Multiple buildings devoted to the principal and accessory uses set forth in the Table of Use Regulations[1] are permitted to be located on a lot. In such case, the following dimensional requirements shall apply:

In the R2 District, each four persons accommodated in a hospital, senior living facility, camp, dormitory or other group living arrangement shall be considered equivalent to a dwelling unit in determining required lot area.

The maximum number of dwelling units within a Business District D development shall be the lesser of one dwelling unit per 1,700 square feet of the gross floor area of qualifying uses in the Business District D Development or 225 dwelling units total. Qualifying uses include indoor floor area of uses set forth in Table I: Table of Use Regulations in B. Community Uses, D. Commercial Uses, E. Office Uses, Retail and Service Uses, G. Eating, Drinking, and Entertainment Establishments, and I. Miscellaneous Commercial Uses that are conducted inside buildings.

In Business District D, there shall be a landscape screening strip between the sideline of South Walpole Street and a "no-cut" line located 35 feet minimum and 50 feet where practicable south of the sideline of South Walpole Street. During construction, disturbance including vegetation removal can extend to within 20 feet of the sideline of South Walpole Street, provided that the disturbed area is replanted as provided herein. The location of the no-cut line shall be determined by the Zoning Board of Appeals during site plan review. Existing trees in the landscaped screening strip shall be supplemented by in-planting with evergreen trees and shrubs to create a dense vegetative screen. A six-foot-high unfinished cedar board fence shall be placed near the south edge of the landscaped screening strip to provide supplemental screening when considered appropriate by the Zoning Board of Appeals pursuant to § 10.5.

In Business District C and in the Professional District, there shall not be more than one building used wholly or in part for residence on any one lot.