Southbridge City Zoning Code
SECTION 4
USE REGULATIONS
4.1 General Provisions.
[Amended 2-22-2021]
A.
No building or structure shall be erected and no building or structure, or land or water area shall be used for any purpose or in any manner except as provided in this Section 4.
B.
No building permit shall be issued for any use that is subject to Section 2.6 unless a site plan has been reviewed and approved by the Planning Board.
C.
An accessory use shall not alter the character of the premises on which it is located or have an adverse impact on the surrounding area.
D.
Any new construction in the Central Core requires a special permit from the Planning Board.
4.2 Prohibited Uses.
[Amended 2-22-2021]
A.
Any use not listed in Section 4.4, Schedule of Uses (Table 1), or otherwise allowable under other provisions of this bylaw is prohibited.
B.
All uses that pose a present or potential hazard to human health, safety, welfare, or the environment through emission of smoke, particulate matter, noise or vibration, or through fire or explosive hazard, or glare, or release of toxic chemicals are expressly prohibited in all districts.
C.
Mobile homes are prohibited, except that pursuant to G.L. c. 40A, § 3, a mobile home or temporary manufactured home may be placed on the site of a residence destroyed by fire or natural disaster, for a period not to exceed 18 months while the residence is being rebuilt.
D.
Except where otherwise provided in this bylaw, and except in the case of a licensed dealer in junk or used automobiles, it shall be prohibited to park or keep more than two motor vehicles or trailers unregistered or without a valid inspection sticker. This shall not apply to antique motor vehicles as defined in G.L. c. 90 § 1, whether or not they are registered for use on public ways.
E.
Common or shared driveways serving more than one single-family dwelling.
4.3 Permitted in All Districts.
4.4 Schedule of Uses.
[Amended 2-22-2021; 6-16-2025]
B.
Applicability of Site Plan Review. In the event that any permitted use is subject to a threshold under Section 2.6, no building permit or determination of zoning compliance shall be issued without an approved site plan.
Table 1 | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Schedule of Uses | ||||||||
Use | R1 | R2 | R3 | CC | RB | GB | OR | M |
AGRICULTURE, CONSERVATION USES | ||||||||
Agriculture, nonexempt | Y | SP | N | N | SP | SP | SP | SP |
Farm stand accessory to an exempt or nonexempt agricultural use | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
Storage of motor vehicle fuel in above-ground tanks for farm vehicles and machinery, accessory to an exempt farm | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
Agriculturally related uses on a farm | SP | SP | N | N | N | N | N | N |
Kennel | SP | N | N | N | N | SP | N | N |
Commercial greenhouse | Y | Y | SP | SP | Y | Y | Y | Y |
Conservation, wildlife preserve | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
RESIDENTIAL USES | ||||||||
Single-family dwelling | Y | Y | Y | N | N | N | N | N |
Accessory dwelling unit1 | Y | Y | Y | N | N | N | N | N |
Two-family dwelling | N | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | N | N |
Group home | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | N |
Multifamily dwelling (limited to lots with public sewer service) | N | N | Y | SP | Y | Y | SP | N |
Mixed-use building | N | SP | SP | Y | Y | Y | N | N |
Senior housing | SP | SP | SP | SP | SP | SP | N | N |
Assisted living residence | SP | SP | SP | N | N | N | SP | N |
Continuing care retirement community | SP | SP | SP | N | N | N | N | N |
Open space residential development | Y | Y | Y | N | N | N | N | N |
EDUCATIONAL AND INSTITUTIONAL USES | ||||||||
Public or private nonprofit educational use | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
Private for-profit educational use | N | N | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
Religious use | Y/SPR | Y/SPR | Y/SPR | Y/SPR | Y/SPR | Y/SPR | Y/SPR | Y/SPR |
Child care center | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
Library or museum | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
Hospital or nursing home | N | SP | N | N | SP | SP | SP | SP |
GOVERNMENT, PUBLIC SERVICES, UTILITIES | ||||||||
Municipal use | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
Public drinking water supply | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
Essential services | SP | SP | SP | SP | SP | SP | SP | SP |
Power co-generation facility | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | SP |
Commercial ground-mounted solar photovoltaic installation up to 700 kw or on less than 5 acres | Y/SPR | Y/SPR | Y/SPR | Y/SPR | Y/SPR | Y/SPR | Y/SPR | Y/SPR |
Commercial ground-mounted solar photovoltaic installation larger than 700 kw or on 5 or more acres | SP | N | N | N | N | N | SP | SP |
Commercial battery storage | SP | SP | SP | SP | SP | SP | SP | SP |
RECREATIONAL AND SOCIAL FACILITIES | ||||||||
Public park, playground, or other outdoor recreational use | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
Reservation, wildlife preserve or other conservation use | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
Country club, fraternal lodge, or other social, civic, or recreational use of nonprofit organization or membership club | SP | SP | SP | SP | SP | SP | SP | SP |
Commercial recreational uses such as boat livery, ice skating rink, recreation camp, ski ground, riding academy stable, picnic grounds, campground, tourist or camp, swimming area, other commercial recreational and sporting facilities | SP | SP | SP | SP | SP | SP | SP | SP |
Commercial golf course on at least 30 acres, the operation of which shall be restricted to daylight hours | SP | SP | SP | SP | SP | SP | SP | SP |
Club, membership or fraternal | N | SP | SP | Y | Y | Y | N | N |
BUSINESS USE | ||||||||
Retail store | ||||||||
Not exceeding 5,000 sq. ft. per retail establishment | N | N | N | Y/SPR | Y/SPR | Y/SPR | N | N |
Between 5,001 sq. ft. and 20,000 sq. ft. | N | N | N | SP | Y/SPR | Y/SPR | N | N |
More than 20,000 sq. ft. | N | N | N | N | SP | SP | N | N |
Shopping center | N | N | N | SP | SP | SP | N | N |
Retail sale of custom goods manufactured and sold exclusively on the premises, e.g., production and retail space for an artisan, craftsperson, or cabinet maker | N | N | N | Y | Y | Y/SPR | N | N |
Sale of automobiles, boats, motorcycles, trailers, trucks or farm implements, monument sales, including showroom and outdoor display of merchandise for sale on the premises | N | N | N | SP | Y/SPR | Y/SPR | N | N |
HOSPITALITY, FOOD SERVICES, ENTERTAINMENT USES | ||||||||
Hotel or motel | N | N | N | SP | SP | SP | SP | SP |
Restaurant, full-service, which may include service at an adjacent outdoor seating area | N | N | N | Y/SPR | Y/SPR | Y/SPR | Y/SPR | Y/SPR |
Take-out food service establishment such as a deli, pizza shop, bakery, ice cream shop; no drive-through service | N | SP | SP | Y/SPR | Y | Y | N | N |
Refreshment stand, drive-in, or other food service establishment where food or beverages are served inside a building to persons standing or seated outside | N | N | N | Y/SPR | Y/SPR | Y/SPR | SP | SP |
Drive-through food service | N | N | N | N | SP | SP | N | N |
Indoor commercial entertainment facility such as a cinema, bowling alley, skating rink, or other enclosed place of assembly operated for profit | N | N | N | SP | Y/SPR | Y/SPR | Y/SPR | SP |
Outdoor commercial recreation facility such as golf driving range, "miniature" golf course, amusement park, drive-in theater, stadium and other outdoor facility operated for profit for spectator sports or amusement use | N | N | N | N | SP | SP | SP | SP |
OFFICES AND RELATED USES | ||||||||
Professional or business office | N | SP | SP | Y | Y/SPR | Y/SPR | Y/SPR | Y/SPR |
Medical or dental office or office of allied health care professional | N | SP | SP | SP | Y/SPR | Y/SPR | SP | N |
Veterinarian | N | SP | SP | SP | SP | SP | SP | N |
Bank | N | N | N | Y/SPR | Y/SPR | Y/SPR | Y/SPR | N |
TRADE AND SERVICE ESTABLISHMENTS | ||||||||
Personal service establishment such as a barber or beauty shop, tailor or dressmaker, dry cleaning or laundry dropoff/pickup, photography studio | N | SP | SP | Y/SPR | Y/SPR | Y/SPR | SP | SP |
Self-service laundromat | N | SP | SP | SP | N | SP | N | N |
Repair shop for bicycles or small household appliances | N | N | SP | Y | Y | Y | N | N |
Funeral home | N | N | N | N | SP | SP | SP | N |
Licensed body arts establishment, including retail sales of directly associated items only | N | N | N | SP | SP | SP | N | N |
Place of business of a builder, carpenter, caterer, electrician, mason, painter, plumber, roofer, or other trade | N | N | N | N | N | Y/SPR | Y/SPR | Y |
Adult-oriented business | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | SP |
WHOLESALE TRADE, STORAGE | ||||||||
Wholesale showroom, storage, or warehouse or distribution facility for contractor’s equipment, heating fuel, lumber and other building supplies, livestock feed, fertilizer, food, furniture, hardware, metal, print, consumer commodities, or similar products | N | N | N | N | N | SP | SP | Y/SPR |
Outdoor storage yard of any material or equipment of a type permitted to be stored in a warehouse in the same location | N | N | N | N | N | SP | SP | Y/SPR |
AUTOMOTIVE AND VEHICLE SERVICES AND FACILITIES | ||||||||
Automobile service station, including bays for routine auto maintenance services (e.g., oil change and tune-up), but not a repair garage or an auto body shop | N | N | N | N | SP | SP | SP | SP |
Car wash | N | N | N | N | SP | SP | SP | SP |
Automobile and vehicle repair garage | N | N | N | N | SP | SP | SP | SP |
Sheltered bus stop | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
Bus or train station | N | N | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
Commercial parking garage/lot | N | N | N | SP | SP | SP | Y/SPR | Y/SPR |
Truck terminal, or motor freight station, servicing or parking of trucks, buses, or semi-trailers | N | N | N | N | N | N | Y/SPR | Y/SPR |
Airport, heliport, other aircraft landing and servicing facility | SP | SP | SP | N | SP | SP | SP | SP |
MANUFACTURING AND RELATED USES | ||||||||
Office or industrial campus master plan | N | N | N | N | SP | SP | SP | SP |
Research, experimental, or testing laboratory | N | N | N | N | N | N | Y/SPR | SP |
Processing, packaging, storage, assembly, or treatment of finished or semi-finished products from previously manufactured or processed materials, where such activities are carried out wholly within an enclosed building; including incidental storage, sales, or distribution of such products | N | N | N | N | SP | Y/SPR | Y/SPR | Y/SPR |
Basic processing and manufacturing of materials or products predominantly from extracted or raw materials | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | SP |
ACCESSORY USES | ||||||||
Home occupation | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
Renting of rooms as transient guest quarters in an owner-occupied single-family dwelling | SP | SP | SP | SP | SP | SP | N | N |
Short term rental (Air B&B / VRBO) | SP | SP | SP | SP | N | N | N | N |
Boarding house | N | SP | SP | SP | N | N | N | N |
Bed and breakfast | SP | SP | SP | SP | SP | SP | N | N |
Noncommercial greenhouse, tool shed, boat house, satellite dish, shelter for domestic pets or other similar accessory structure | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | N |
Living quarters for domestic employees; provided, that such quarters shall have no cooking facilities and are not rented or used as a separate dwelling | Y | Y | Y | N | N | N | N | N |
Tennis court, swimming pool, similar accessory recreational use | Y | Y | Y | N | N | N | N | N |
Noncommercial ground-mounted or otherwise mounted solar photovoltaic installation, 15 feet or less in height, accessory to an existing residential use | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
Watchperson’s quarters | N | N | N | N | SP | SP | SP | SP |
Cafeteria, snack bar, retail or personal services accessory to manufacturing or business use, operated primarily for the convenience of employees of the establishment | N | N | N | N | Y | Y | Y | Y |
Outdoor storage of trucks, supplies, and equipment in good working order incidental to permitted uses. If on a lot abutting a residential district, the outdoor storage shall be screened from view from adjacent properties with evergreen vegetation of sufficient density and height to achieve year-round effective screening. Vegetation shall be maintained in living condition. Privacy fence or solid wall may substitute for vegetation subject to approval by the Town Planner. | N | N | N | N | SP | SP | Y/SPR | Y/SPR |
Table 1 | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Schedule of Uses | ||||||||
Use | R1 | R2 | R3 | CC | RB | GB | OR | M |
AGRICULTURE, CONSERVATION USES | ||||||||
Agriculture, nonexempt | Y | SP | N | N | SP | SP | SP | SP |
Farm stand accessory to an exempt or nonexempt agricultural use | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
Storage of motor vehicle fuel in above-ground tanks for farm vehicles and machinery, accessory to an exempt farm | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
Agriculturally related uses on a farm | SP | SP | N | N | N | N | N | N |
Kennel | SP | N | N | N | N | SP | N | N |
Commercial greenhouse | Y | Y | SP | SP | Y | Y | Y | Y |
Conservation, wildlife preserve | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
RESIDENTIAL USES | ||||||||
Single-family dwelling | Y | Y | Y | N | N | N | N | N |
Accessory dwelling unit1 | Y | Y | Y | N | N | N | N | N |
Two-family dwelling | N | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | N | N |
Group home | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | N |
Multifamily dwelling (limited to lots with public sewer service) | N | N | Y | SP | Y | Y | SP | N |
Mixed-use building | N | SP | SP | Y | Y | Y | N | N |
Senior housing | SP | SP | SP | SP | SP | SP | N | N |
Assisted living residence | SP | SP | SP | N | N | N | SP | N |
Continuing care retirement community | SP | SP | SP | N | N | N | N | N |
Open space residential development | Y | Y | Y | N | N | N | N | N |
EDUCATIONAL AND INSTITUTIONAL USES | ||||||||
Public or private nonprofit educational use | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
Private for-profit educational use | N | N | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
Religious use | Y/SPR | Y/SPR | Y/SPR | Y/SPR | Y/SPR | Y/SPR | Y/SPR | Y/SPR |
Child care center | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
Library or museum | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
Hospital or nursing home | N | SP | N | N | SP | SP | SP | SP |
GOVERNMENT, PUBLIC SERVICES, UTILITIES | ||||||||
Municipal use | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
Public drinking water supply | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
Essential services | SP | SP | SP | SP | SP | SP | SP | SP |
Power co-generation facility | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | SP |
Commercial ground-mounted solar photovoltaic installation up to 700 kw or on less than 5 acres | Y/SPR | Y/SPR | Y/SPR | Y/SPR | Y/SPR | Y/SPR | Y/SPR | Y/SPR |
Commercial ground-mounted solar photovoltaic installation larger than 700 kw or on 5 or more acres | SP | N | N | N | N | N | SP | SP |
Commercial battery storage | SP | SP | SP | SP | SP | SP | SP | SP |
RECREATIONAL AND SOCIAL FACILITIES | ||||||||
Public park, playground, or other outdoor recreational use | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
Reservation, wildlife preserve or other conservation use | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
Country club, fraternal lodge, or other social, civic, or recreational use of nonprofit organization or membership club | SP | SP | SP | SP | SP | SP | SP | SP |
Commercial recreational uses such as boat livery, ice skating rink, recreation camp, ski ground, riding academy stable, picnic grounds, campground, tourist or camp, swimming area, other commercial recreational and sporting facilities | SP | SP | SP | SP | SP | SP | SP | SP |
Commercial golf course on at least 30 acres, the operation of which shall be restricted to daylight hours | SP | SP | SP | SP | SP | SP | SP | SP |
Club, membership or fraternal | N | SP | SP | Y | Y | Y | N | N |
BUSINESS USE | ||||||||
Retail store | ||||||||
Not exceeding 5,000 sq. ft. per retail establishment | N | N | N | Y/SPR | Y/SPR | Y/SPR | N | N |
Between 5,001 sq. ft. and 20,000 sq. ft. | N | N | N | SP | Y/SPR | Y/SPR | N | N |
More than 20,000 sq. ft. | N | N | N | N | SP | SP | N | N |
Shopping center | N | N | N | SP | SP | SP | N | N |
Retail sale of custom goods manufactured and sold exclusively on the premises, e.g., production and retail space for an artisan, craftsperson, or cabinet maker | N | N | N | Y | Y | Y/SPR | N | N |
Sale of automobiles, boats, motorcycles, trailers, trucks or farm implements, monument sales, including showroom and outdoor display of merchandise for sale on the premises | N | N | N | SP | Y/SPR | Y/SPR | N | N |
HOSPITALITY, FOOD SERVICES, ENTERTAINMENT USES | ||||||||
Hotel or motel | N | N | N | SP | SP | SP | SP | SP |
Restaurant, full-service, which may include service at an adjacent outdoor seating area | N | N | N | Y/SPR | Y/SPR | Y/SPR | Y/SPR | Y/SPR |
Take-out food service establishment such as a deli, pizza shop, bakery, ice cream shop; no drive-through service | N | SP | SP | Y/SPR | Y | Y | N | N |
Refreshment stand, drive-in, or other food service establishment where food or beverages are served inside a building to persons standing or seated outside | N | N | N | Y/SPR | Y/SPR | Y/SPR | SP | SP |
Drive-through food service | N | N | N | N | SP | SP | N | N |
Indoor commercial entertainment facility such as a cinema, bowling alley, skating rink, or other enclosed place of assembly operated for profit | N | N | N | SP | Y/SPR | Y/SPR | Y/SPR | SP |
Outdoor commercial recreation facility such as golf driving range, "miniature" golf course, amusement park, drive-in theater, stadium and other outdoor facility operated for profit for spectator sports or amusement use | N | N | N | N | SP | SP | SP | SP |
OFFICES AND RELATED USES | ||||||||
Professional or business office | N | SP | SP | Y | Y/SPR | Y/SPR | Y/SPR | Y/SPR |
Medical or dental office or office of allied health care professional | N | SP | SP | SP | Y/SPR | Y/SPR | SP | N |
Veterinarian | N | SP | SP | SP | SP | SP | SP | N |
Bank | N | N | N | Y/SPR | Y/SPR | Y/SPR | Y/SPR | N |
TRADE AND SERVICE ESTABLISHMENTS | ||||||||
Personal service establishment such as a barber or beauty shop, tailor or dressmaker, dry cleaning or laundry dropoff/pickup, photography studio | N | SP | SP | Y/SPR | Y/SPR | Y/SPR | SP | SP |
Self-service laundromat | N | SP | SP | SP | N | SP | N | N |
Repair shop for bicycles or small household appliances | N | N | SP | Y | Y | Y | N | N |
Funeral home | N | N | N | N | SP | SP | SP | N |
Licensed body arts establishment, including retail sales of directly associated items only | N | N | N | SP | SP | SP | N | N |
Place of business of a builder, carpenter, caterer, electrician, mason, painter, plumber, roofer, or other trade | N | N | N | N | N | Y/SPR | Y/SPR | Y |
Adult-oriented business | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | SP |
WHOLESALE TRADE, STORAGE | ||||||||
Wholesale showroom, storage, or warehouse or distribution facility for contractor’s equipment, heating fuel, lumber and other building supplies, livestock feed, fertilizer, food, furniture, hardware, metal, print, consumer commodities, or similar products | N | N | N | N | N | SP | SP | Y/SPR |
Outdoor storage yard of any material or equipment of a type permitted to be stored in a warehouse in the same location | N | N | N | N | N | SP | SP | Y/SPR |
AUTOMOTIVE AND VEHICLE SERVICES AND FACILITIES | ||||||||
Automobile service station, including bays for routine auto maintenance services (e.g., oil change and tune-up), but not a repair garage or an auto body shop | N | N | N | N | SP | SP | SP | SP |
Car wash | N | N | N | N | SP | SP | SP | SP |
Automobile and vehicle repair garage | N | N | N | N | SP | SP | SP | SP |
Sheltered bus stop | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
Bus or train station | N | N | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
Commercial parking garage/lot | N | N | N | SP | SP | SP | Y/SPR | Y/SPR |
Truck terminal, or motor freight station, servicing or parking of trucks, buses, or semi-trailers | N | N | N | N | N | N | Y/SPR | Y/SPR |
Airport, heliport, other aircraft landing and servicing facility | SP | SP | SP | N | SP | SP | SP | SP |
MANUFACTURING AND RELATED USES | ||||||||
Office or industrial campus master plan | N | N | N | N | SP | SP | SP | SP |
Research, experimental, or testing laboratory | N | N | N | N | N | N | Y/SPR | SP |
Processing, packaging, storage, assembly, or treatment of finished or semi-finished products from previously manufactured or processed materials, where such activities are carried out wholly within an enclosed building; including incidental storage, sales, or distribution of such products | N | N | N | N | SP | Y/SPR | Y/SPR | Y/SPR |
Basic processing and manufacturing of materials or products predominantly from extracted or raw materials | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | SP |
ACCESSORY USES | ||||||||
Home occupation | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
Renting of rooms as transient guest quarters in an owner-occupied single-family dwelling | SP | SP | SP | SP | SP | SP | N | N |
Short term rental (Air B&B / VRBO) | SP | SP | SP | SP | N | N | N | N |
Boarding house | N | SP | SP | SP | N | N | N | N |
Bed and breakfast | SP | SP | SP | SP | SP | SP | N | N |
Noncommercial greenhouse, tool shed, boat house, satellite dish, shelter for domestic pets or other similar accessory structure | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | N |
Living quarters for domestic employees; provided, that such quarters shall have no cooking facilities and are not rented or used as a separate dwelling | Y | Y | Y | N | N | N | N | N |
Tennis court, swimming pool, similar accessory recreational use | Y | Y | Y | N | N | N | N | N |
Noncommercial ground-mounted or otherwise mounted solar photovoltaic installation, 15 feet or less in height, accessory to an existing residential use | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
Watchperson’s quarters | N | N | N | N | SP | SP | SP | SP |
Cafeteria, snack bar, retail or personal services accessory to manufacturing or business use, operated primarily for the convenience of employees of the establishment | N | N | N | N | Y | Y | Y | Y |
Outdoor storage of trucks, supplies, and equipment in good working order incidental to permitted uses. If on a lot abutting a residential district, the outdoor storage shall be screened from view from adjacent properties with evergreen vegetation of sufficient density and height to achieve year-round effective screening. Vegetation shall be maintained in living condition. Privacy fence or solid wall may substitute for vegetation subject to approval by the Town Planner. | N | N | N | N | SP | SP | Y/SPR | Y/SPR |