Williamstown City Zoning Code
ARTICLE IV
Intensity Regulations
§ 70-4.1 Height regulations.
A.
Basic limitation. The height of any building or structure shall not exceed 35 feet, or 2 1/2 stories in the case of homes of conventional design, or three stories above the average ground level in the case of split-level design, except that in no case shall the height exceed the limits permitted by Sections 35A to 35D, inclusive, of Chapter 90, and any more restrictive amendments thereto, of the General Laws of Massachusetts.
B.
Height modifications.
[Added 5-18-1999 ATM, Art. 29[1] ]
(1)
Intent. The intent of these modifications is to assure that all structures in Williamstown fit into their surroundings in terms of scale and mass and that viewsheds are maintained.
(2)
Village Business District. In the Village Business District, building height may be increased to 40 feet. For properties fronting on Spring Street, refer to § 70-3.4C(1)(a).
[Amended 5-19-2009 ATM, Art. 32]
(4)
Height increase by special permit. In all districts except Village Business and Rural Residence 1, building height (except one- and two-family dwellings) may be increased to 45 feet, provided that the Board of Appeals grants a special permit, based upon the following criteria, in addition to the general special permit criteria of § 70-8.4:
(a)
Siting. The building will be sited to take advantage of topographic features, such as slopes, which can mitigate its height and bulk.
(b)
Setbacks. The front setback will be no less than the setback of adjacent buildings or the required setback (§ 70-4.3), whichever is greater. Side and rear setbacks will preserve access of adjoining premises to light and air and to allow for landscaping consistent with the standard of Subsection (4)(d).
(c)
Building design. The exterior design will reduce the apparent height and bulk of the building. Design features may include emphasis on architectural elements (such as windows, entries, balconies, etc.) that divide the building into smaller pieces, articulated rooflines, selection of facade material and color. Applicants are required to present plans that demonstrate consistency with this objective.
(d)
Landscaping. Landscaping should reduce the apparent height and bulk of the building. Landscape design will include large trees, singly or in clumps, arranged to break up the mass of the building and provide a more human scale.
(5)
All special permit submittals shall include the following:
(a)
A locus plan, in accordance with the requirements of § 70-8.2B(1).
(b)
Plans showing predevelopment and proposed contours of the land, locations and details of landscaping.
(c)
Plans showing detailed exterior elevations of all proposed buildings.
(d)
A three-dimensional representation of the building, postdevelopment topography and landscaping features of the site and neighboring properties (within 300 feet).
C.
Method of measurement. Height shall be measured as the vertical distance from the average ground elevation around the exterior walls of the structure or, in the case of built up land, the highest elevation at the site prior to such change in contour, to the highest point of the roof surface in the case of a flat roof, and to the mean height between eaves and ridge in the case of a pitched roof.
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D.
Exclusions. Limitations of height shall not apply to spires, domes, steeples, radio towers, chimneys, broadcasting and television antennae, bulkheads, cooling towers, ventilators, silos, temporary anemometers used for the collection of wind data to site a wind-generated energy production facility, and other appurtenances usually carried above the roof.
[Amended 5-18-1999 ATM, Art. 29; 5-20-2003 ATM, Art. 25]
§ 70-4.2 Area, frontage, yard and floor area requirements.
A.
Applicability. The erection, extension, alteration, placement or moving of a structure or the creation or change in size or shape of a lot (except through a public taking) must meet the requirements of this article except for lot line changes which neither create additional lots nor increase nonconformity, and except as otherwise expressly provided in MGL c. 40A, § 6, or in this chapter (e.g., § 70-1.4B, authorization for Board of Appeals approval of expansion of a nonconforming structure).
B.
Accessory buildings and structures.
[Amended 5-17-2005 ATM, Art. 26]
(1)
Attached. An accessory building or structure attached to its principal building shall be considered an integral part thereof, and as such shall be subject to the front, side, and rear yard requirements applicable to the principal building.
(2)
Detached. Except as modified by Subsections 70-42B(3 and 4) below, detached accessory buildings or structures may be erected in the rear and side yard areas (and front yard with Board of Appeals approval) not closer than 15 feet to the property lines.
(3)
In General Residence Districts, on lots with a maximum frontage of 80 feet and lot area of 10,000 square feet or less, one detached accessory building, used for storage, with a building area of 120 square feet or less may located four feet from rear and side property lines.
[Amended 5-21-2013 ATM, Art. 35]
(4)
In General Residence Districts, on lots with a maximum frontage of 80 feet and lot area of 10,000 square feet or less, one detached accessory building, used for storage or a garage with a building area of 121 to 300 square feet may be located six feet from rear and side property lines provided:
[Amended 5-21-2013 ATM, Art. 35]
(a)
Building height shall not exceed 14 feet;
(b)
The length of the building does not exceed twice the width;
(c)
The use of the building must remain garage or storage;
(d)
The Board of Appeals grants a special permit based on the following criteria:
The building exterior preserves and complements the dwelling through architectural style and scale; and | |
The building will not be detrimental to the neighborhood. |
C.
Corner visibility. On a corner lot, in order to provide visibility unobstructed at intersections, no sign, fence, wall, tree, hedge or other vegetation, and no building or other structure more than three feet above the established street grades, shall be erected, placed or maintained within the area formed by the intersecting street lines and a straight line joining said street lines at points which are 25 feet distant from the point of intersection, measured along said street lines.
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D.
Multiple buildings and uses.
(1)
Preexisting dwellings. A lot on which two or more detached dwelling buildings existed prior to February 28, 1955, may be divided into as many lots as there were detached dwelling buildings thereon, provided that the lot is divided in such manner that all resulting lots conform as nearly as possible to area and frontage requirements, said determination to be made by the Planning Board.
[Amended 5-18-1999 ATM, Art. 30]
(2)
Single-family dwellings. Not more than one single-family dwelling shall be erected on a lot unless so authorized in a major residential development approved under § 70-7.1C, Major residential development, or authorized as a second dwelling unit approved under the restrictions of § 70-7.1D, Second dwelling units.
[Amended 5-15-2012 ATM, Art. 30]
(3)
Other buildings. Two or more principal buildings other than single-family dwellings may be erected on a lot, provided that, unless otherwise stipulated in this chapter, lot area requirements are met for each building without counting any lot area twice, and the Planning Board has determined that each building will be served with access, drainage and utilities functionally equivalent to that required for separate lots under Chapter 170, Subdivision Rules and Regulations.
E.
Special uses. Dimensional regulations for some specific uses differ from those in § 70-4.3, Dimensional Schedule.
[Amended 5-17-2022 ATM, Art. 39]
(1)
Multifamily dwellings in major residential developments must comply with lot area and density requirements under § 70-7.1C(4). Lot area and frontage requirements for other multifamily dwellings are provided in § 70-7.1G.
(2)
Mobile home parks are subject to the dimensional requirements contained in regulations governing mobile home parks in Williamstown, adopted by the Board of Selectmen, acting as the Board of Health.
§ 70-4.3 Dimensional Schedule. [1]
[1]
Editor's Note: The Dimensional Schedule is included as an attachment to this chapter.