- DIMENSIONAL REGULATIONS
The regulations set by this article within each district shall be minimum regulations and shall apply uniformly to each class or kind of structure or land, except as hereinafter provided:
A.
No structure or land shall hereinafter be used or occupied, and no structure, including signs, or part thereof shall be erected, constructed, reconstructed, moved or structurally altered except in conformity with all of the regulations herein specified for the district in which it is located.
B.
No structure shall hereafter be erected or altered:
1.
To be greater in height or bulk;
2.
To accommodate or house a greater number of dwelling units;
3.
To occupy a greater percentage of lot area;
4.
To have narrower or smaller rear yards, front yards, side yards or other open spaces;
other than herein provided, or in any other manner contrary to the provisions of this ordinance.
C.
No part of a yard, or other open space, or off-street parking or loading space required about or in connection with any structure for the purpose of complying with this ordinance, shall be included as part of yard, open space, or off-street parking or loading space similarly required for any other structure.
D.
No yard or lot existing at the time of passage of this ordinance shall be reduced in dimension or area below the minimum requirements set forth herein. Yards or lots created after the effective date of this ordinance shall meet at least the minimum requirements established by this ordinance.
The following schedule (referred to as the schedule of dimensional regulations and also as the "dimensional table") sets forth the basic dimensional requirements for all uses. See article 5 for detailed regulations that apply to certain specific uses in addition to those set forth below.
SCHEDULE OF DIMENSIONAL REGULATIONS
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(Ord. of 7-22-02, §§ 1a, 1b; Ord. of 5-12-08(3); Ord. of 6-25-18; Ord. of 10-23-23(1))
A.
The lot width and frontage requirements for a newly created subdivision may be reduced by the planning board pursuant to section 502.2.
B.
For any detached accessory apartment, the minimum setback distance from both side and rear lot lines shall be fifteen (15) feet.
C.
The front yard setback may be reduced, as of right, to the average front yard setback of the immediately abutting structures.
D.
No dwelling units shall be allowed on the first floor.
E.
For rooming units, the minimum lot size shall be two thousand five hundred (2,500) square feet for the first two (2) rooming units plus six hundred (600) square feet per each additional rooming unit.
F.
No parking of any vehicles shall be allowed between any structure and the front lot line or a corner side lot line.
G.
No yard setback shall be required along lot lines abutting a railroad track.
H.
Accessory apartments shall not be permitted in lands developed beyond carrying capacity as defined by Rhode Island Coastal Resources Management Council within an adopted special area management plan. Where two-household dwellings or multi-household dwellings are permitted, an accessory apartment may not be established unless it replaces an allowed dwelling unit. For example, if the use and dimensional regulations would allow only three (3) dwellings units, a lot may contain two (2) dwellings and an accessory apartment, but not three (3) dwelling units and an accessory apartment. (See section 503.2.)
I.
Transition yard landscaping is required whenever a buffer between adjacent incompatible land uses is necessary in order to physically separate and visually screen such adjacent land uses. See the subdivision and land development regulations for details regarding such buffers. Transition yards are required in the following situations and are required to provide the following landscaping and buffering:
1.
Industrial uses or zoning districts abutting residential zoning districts. In any zoning district, a lot which contains any industrial use, and a lot in any industrial zoning district which abuts any residential zoning district shall provide a side yard and a rear yard at least equal to twice the side or rear yard requirement of the adjoining residential district. Where more than one (1) residential district abuts, the district imposing the higher standard shall apply. Side and rear yards in the industrial district shall be buffered in any of the following ways:
(a)
Fifty-foot wooded buffer; or
(b)
Twenty-foot partial landscape screen; or
(c)
Ten-foot full landscape screen.
2.
Commercial zoning districts abutting residential zoning districts. Lots in any commercial zoning district which abut any residential zoning district shall provide a side yard and a rear yard at least equal to the side or rear yard requirement of the adjoining residential district; except that corner side yard requirements for such lots may be provided as required in the commercial district. Where more than one (1) residential district abuts, the district imposing the higher standard shall apply. Side and rear yards in the commercial district shall be buffered in any of the following ways:
(a)
Fifty-foot wooded buffer; or
(b)
Twenty-foot partial landscape screen; or
(c)
Ten-foot full landscape screen.
J.
See subdivision and land development regulations for detailed standards regarding other dimensional requirements. (Use codes 12 and 12.1.)
K.
In the Kingstown Road Special Management District, the front yard and corner side yard setbacks may be reduced to zero (0) by the planning board as a condition of approval of development plan review.
L.
In an R10 or RM Zoning District, if a proposed use of a lot is to include use code 12 or 12.1, and if such lot abuts a lot containing a single-household detached structure; any principle structure shall be maintained at a fifty-foot setback from the lot containing the single-household detached structure, or the side and rear transition yard buffering required by I.2., above, shall be required.
M.
For any residential subdivision that is subject to the provisions of section 502.6, inclusionary zoning density bonuses and/or requirements for development exactions for the provision of low and moderate income housing apply. See section 502.6 and subdivision and land development regulations for specific requirements in this regard.
(Ord. of 8-15-06(1); Ord. of 6-25-18)
Editor's note— An ordinance adopted on July 23, 2001, deleted § 403. Former § 403 pertained to the dimensional regulations for lots in residential cluster developments and derived from the zoning ordinance, adopted May 10, 1999.
- DIMENSIONAL REGULATIONS
The regulations set by this article within each district shall be minimum regulations and shall apply uniformly to each class or kind of structure or land, except as hereinafter provided:
A.
No structure or land shall hereinafter be used or occupied, and no structure, including signs, or part thereof shall be erected, constructed, reconstructed, moved or structurally altered except in conformity with all of the regulations herein specified for the district in which it is located.
B.
No structure shall hereafter be erected or altered:
1.
To be greater in height or bulk;
2.
To accommodate or house a greater number of dwelling units;
3.
To occupy a greater percentage of lot area;
4.
To have narrower or smaller rear yards, front yards, side yards or other open spaces;
other than herein provided, or in any other manner contrary to the provisions of this ordinance.
C.
No part of a yard, or other open space, or off-street parking or loading space required about or in connection with any structure for the purpose of complying with this ordinance, shall be included as part of yard, open space, or off-street parking or loading space similarly required for any other structure.
D.
No yard or lot existing at the time of passage of this ordinance shall be reduced in dimension or area below the minimum requirements set forth herein. Yards or lots created after the effective date of this ordinance shall meet at least the minimum requirements established by this ordinance.
The following schedule (referred to as the schedule of dimensional regulations and also as the "dimensional table") sets forth the basic dimensional requirements for all uses. See article 5 for detailed regulations that apply to certain specific uses in addition to those set forth below.
SCHEDULE OF DIMENSIONAL REGULATIONS
Â
(Ord. of 7-22-02, §§ 1a, 1b; Ord. of 5-12-08(3); Ord. of 6-25-18; Ord. of 10-23-23(1))
A.
The lot width and frontage requirements for a newly created subdivision may be reduced by the planning board pursuant to section 502.2.
B.
For any detached accessory apartment, the minimum setback distance from both side and rear lot lines shall be fifteen (15) feet.
C.
The front yard setback may be reduced, as of right, to the average front yard setback of the immediately abutting structures.
D.
No dwelling units shall be allowed on the first floor.
E.
For rooming units, the minimum lot size shall be two thousand five hundred (2,500) square feet for the first two (2) rooming units plus six hundred (600) square feet per each additional rooming unit.
F.
No parking of any vehicles shall be allowed between any structure and the front lot line or a corner side lot line.
G.
No yard setback shall be required along lot lines abutting a railroad track.
H.
Accessory apartments shall not be permitted in lands developed beyond carrying capacity as defined by Rhode Island Coastal Resources Management Council within an adopted special area management plan. Where two-household dwellings or multi-household dwellings are permitted, an accessory apartment may not be established unless it replaces an allowed dwelling unit. For example, if the use and dimensional regulations would allow only three (3) dwellings units, a lot may contain two (2) dwellings and an accessory apartment, but not three (3) dwelling units and an accessory apartment. (See section 503.2.)
I.
Transition yard landscaping is required whenever a buffer between adjacent incompatible land uses is necessary in order to physically separate and visually screen such adjacent land uses. See the subdivision and land development regulations for details regarding such buffers. Transition yards are required in the following situations and are required to provide the following landscaping and buffering:
1.
Industrial uses or zoning districts abutting residential zoning districts. In any zoning district, a lot which contains any industrial use, and a lot in any industrial zoning district which abuts any residential zoning district shall provide a side yard and a rear yard at least equal to twice the side or rear yard requirement of the adjoining residential district. Where more than one (1) residential district abuts, the district imposing the higher standard shall apply. Side and rear yards in the industrial district shall be buffered in any of the following ways:
(a)
Fifty-foot wooded buffer; or
(b)
Twenty-foot partial landscape screen; or
(c)
Ten-foot full landscape screen.
2.
Commercial zoning districts abutting residential zoning districts. Lots in any commercial zoning district which abut any residential zoning district shall provide a side yard and a rear yard at least equal to the side or rear yard requirement of the adjoining residential district; except that corner side yard requirements for such lots may be provided as required in the commercial district. Where more than one (1) residential district abuts, the district imposing the higher standard shall apply. Side and rear yards in the commercial district shall be buffered in any of the following ways:
(a)
Fifty-foot wooded buffer; or
(b)
Twenty-foot partial landscape screen; or
(c)
Ten-foot full landscape screen.
J.
See subdivision and land development regulations for detailed standards regarding other dimensional requirements. (Use codes 12 and 12.1.)
K.
In the Kingstown Road Special Management District, the front yard and corner side yard setbacks may be reduced to zero (0) by the planning board as a condition of approval of development plan review.
L.
In an R10 or RM Zoning District, if a proposed use of a lot is to include use code 12 or 12.1, and if such lot abuts a lot containing a single-household detached structure; any principle structure shall be maintained at a fifty-foot setback from the lot containing the single-household detached structure, or the side and rear transition yard buffering required by I.2., above, shall be required.
M.
For any residential subdivision that is subject to the provisions of section 502.6, inclusionary zoning density bonuses and/or requirements for development exactions for the provision of low and moderate income housing apply. See section 502.6 and subdivision and land development regulations for specific requirements in this regard.
(Ord. of 8-15-06(1); Ord. of 6-25-18)
Editor's note— An ordinance adopted on July 23, 2001, deleted § 403. Former § 403 pertained to the dimensional regulations for lots in residential cluster developments and derived from the zoning ordinance, adopted May 10, 1999.