The purpose of the Residential Affordable Housing Zone/Workforce (R-AHZ/W) district is to promote the public health, safety and general welfare of the community by providing diverse housing choices including one-family, two-family and multi-family dwellings for those in need of rental or for-sale housing. The R-AHZ/W zone allows for residential development with a percentage of units designated as affordable housing pursuant to §8-30g of the Connecticut General Statutes. The intent is to assist the town in meeting the statutory goal of providing affordable housing, and to provide such housing near office and retail areas of the town. The R-AHZ/W zone allows for developments with a minimum of thirty percent (30%) of the dwelling units designated as affordable/workforce housing, of which twenty percent (20%) shall be affordable for persons or families at eighty percent (80%) of the state median income level as defined in §8-30g and ten percent (10%) of the units shall be designated as Workforce Housing, as defined in §5.

In an R-AHZ/W, no land, building, or structure shall be used and no building shall be hereafter erected, altered, or added to, unless otherwise provided in these regulations, except for one (1) or more of the following uses:

The minimum lot size is one (1) acre as of the effective date of the regulation (10-15-07) and the maximum lot size is four (4) acres. The minimum width of the lot shall be 100 feet, and the lot shall be able to contain a rectangle of 100 feet by 150 feet. The property shall be contiguous to, or directly (on a perpendicular) across the street from, a non-residential zone, with the exception of the DDD and shall have a minimum of thirty (30) feet of frontage on an arterial street.

The number of dwelling units shall not exceed seven (7) per acre. There shall be at least one (1) workforce and one (1) affordable dwelling unit in any R-AHZ/W development.

Building height shall not exceed two and one-half (2½) stories and thirty (30) feet unless in conjunction with reduced building coverage requirements below (see §19A-6), where height shall not exceed three (3) stories and thirty-five (35) feet. Accessory buildings shall not exceed sixteen (16) feet and one (1) story in height.

Building coverage shall not exceed twenty-five percent (25%) of the lot area and total coverage shall not exceed sixty percent (60%) of the lot area unless in conjunction with additional height above (see §19A-5) where building coverage shall not exceed twenty percent (20%) of the lot area and total coverage shall not exceed fifty percent (50%) of the lot area.

No principal or accessory building, structure or use, shall extend closer than thirty (30) feet from a front lot line or residential zoning district boundary line, and twenty-five (25) feet from a side or rear lot line. The thirty (30) foot setback measured from a residential lot line may be reduced to twenty-five (25) feet, if building coverage does not exceed twenty-percent (20%), total coverage does not exceed fifty-percent (50%), and the Planning and Zoning Commission makes a finding that the buffer strip as required in accordance with §19A-13, has sufficient existing and proposed screening to buffer existing adjacent single-family homes and warrants said reduction. Pre-existing and historic structures (see §19A-14) may extend into any setbacks as necessary to meet Building and Fire Safety Codes.

The minimum space between buildings shall be ten feet (10’) and the average shall be not less than fifteen feet (15’).

The size, design and location of signs shall conform with §33 of the Zoning Regulations.

Off-street parking and loading shall be provided in accordance with §34 of the Supplementary Regulations. Parking shall be located fifteen (15) feet from any residential zoning district boundary line and thirty (30) feet from any street or front lot line, except as provided in §19A-13.

There shall be at least 450 square feet of usable space for each unit. Land so set aside shall be properly laid out; graded, screened and landscaped.

Landscaping, screening, sidewalks and buffer areas shall be provided in accordance with §35 of the Supplementary Regulations. Parking may be allowed in the Front Landscaping Area (see §35-2.2) provided the Planning and Zoning Commission makes a finding that said parking and site circulation is sensitive to abutting residential properties, serves to promote open space and a more efficient use of land. I-95 shall not be considered a street for front landscaping setback purposes.

Where applicable, developments shall be designed to encourage the preservation of architectural features of historic buildings and other historic structures in the district. The adaptive reuse of any historic buildings shall cause minimal alteration to the historic exteriors of those buildings in the public view. The preservation, rehabilitation, or adaptive reuse to the exterior of any historic building or historic structure in the public view shall be consistent with reasonable historic rehabilitation standards. Historic buildings and structures are defined here as those listed or eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places, State Register of Historic Places, Westport Historic Resources Inventory, have been designated as a local historic property or district, or are at least 50 years of age.

The applicant shall submit an “Affordability Plan,” in accordance with §8-30g concurrently with Special Permit and Site Plan application which shall describe how the regulations regarding affordability will be administered for both the workforce and affordable housing units. Workforce and affordable dwelling units shall remain deed restricted as long as the units exist. To the extent permissible under applicable State and Federal laws, the Affordability Plan shall establish a priority system for the affordable and workforce housing units including, but not limited to, Westport residents, Westport Seniors and Westport municipal employees.

No more than two (2) Residential Affordable Housing Zone/Workforce developments shall be permitted within the Town of Westport. R-AHZ/W developments must be at least one (1) mile apart from each other.

The Planning and Zoning Commission shall make a finding that an R-AHZ/W residential development shall maintain or improve the traffic Level of Service (LOS) and safety conditions in and around the site. The application must be accompanied by a traffic report submitted by the applicant.

 

Any use permitted in the Residence AAA District, subject to the same approvals and conditions as specified in §11-2, herein, and subject to the current minimum lot area and shape, setbacks, height, coverage, parking, sign and landscaping standards of the Zoning District in existence at the time such R-AHZ/W is established and any amendments to these standards that are subsequently adopted after the R-AHZ/W is established. The standards listed in §19A-4 to §19A-16 shall not apply to Principal Uses specified in §11-2​​​​​​​, herein.

The following uses are permitted in principal buildings subject to Special Permit and Site Plan approval in accordance with §43, herein, and the standards in this Section:

Residential dwellings shall be limited to efficiency, one-bedroom, two-bedroom and three- bedroom dwelling units. For the purpose of these R-AHZ/W regulations, libraries, dens, studios, studies, lofts and other similar spaces shall be deemed to be bedrooms by the Commission.

No unit in a RAHZ/W development shall exceed 2,000 square feet of interior floor area. The total interior floor area of a unit shall exclude garage parking spaces, common storage area, common stairs, common halls, common foyers and other similar spaces used in common.

The maximum building size shall be 5,000 square feet of floor area.

The architectural design, scale and mass of buildings and other structures requiring a Special Permit, including the exterior building material, color, roof-line and building elevations shall be consistent with the prevailing design traditions so as to harmonize and be compatible with the neighborhood, to protect property values in the neighborhood and to preserve and improve the appearance and beauty of the community.(813, 03/27/2023)

Pitched roofed buildings shall be required.

Roof-top mechanical equipment shall be prohibited; except for energy conservation systems such as solar energy panels as approved by the Planning and Zoning Commission.

Dwelling unit facades need to be designed to avoid a barracks or dormitory appearance. Staggered or off-set unit facades and/or varied unit facade materials shall be utilized.

Buildings should be designed and located on the site so as to retain the existing topography and natural features of the land to the greatest extent possible.

Public water and sewer must be available for the property, and all units must be connected to the sewer and water lines.

All utilities and conduits within the site shall be underground.

No Zoning Certificate of Compliance shall be issued for any dwelling unit unless and until such unit has been connected to a public water supply, suitable power supply and a public sanitary sewer line.

Storm drainage facilities shall be provided and shall be designed to achieve a zero impact run-off based on a minimum 25-year storm flow. Street culverts and bridges shall be designed for a 100-year storm flow.

All storm drainage facilities and public sanitary sewers shall be designed and constructed in accordance with Town Standards, subject to the approval of the Town Engineer.

Two-family dwellings and multi-family dwellings in principal buildings subject to the conditions herein.

Twenty percent (20%) of the residential units shall be designated as affordable housing at the 80% of State median income level pursuant to §8-30g and ten percent (10%) of the units shall be designated as Workforce Housing, as defined in §5. In no case shall less than 30% of the units be affordable/workforce. In all cases, at least two (2) units shall be designated as affordable/workforce.

Example: 20 proposed units

20% = 4 affordable units

10% = 2 workforce units

Necessary accessory buildings, structures, and uses including, but not limited to, facilities for maintenance, off-street parking, storage facilities and those facilities necessary to the operation of a utility system serving the development and customarily accessory to the residential use may be permitted. Outdoor recreational uses, including swimming pools and tennis courts, may be permitted.

Accessory buildings or structures shall not exceed 300 square feet of gross floor area nor the allowable height.

No accessory building or structure shall be occupied or used as a Rooming unit or a dwelling unit.

No accessory building or structure shall be used for commercial purposes (i.e. for gain or profit).