21.218 An Ordinance to Amend Zero Lot Line Section of Code - CM with AJ amendment CLEANCity of Northampton
MASSACHUSETTS
In the Year Two Thousand Twenty One
Upon the Recommendation of Mayor David J. Narkewicz and Planning & Sustainability
21.218 AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND ZERO LOT LINE SECTION OF CODE
An Ordinance of the City of Northampton, Massachusetts, providing that the Code of Ordinances, City of Northampton,
Massachusetts, be amended to alter the requirements of Zero Lot Line projects in order to maintain more consistent set
backs within neighborhoods.
Be it ordained by the City Council of the City of Northampton, in City Council assembled, as follows: Move
subsection 10.14 to a new Subsection in Chapter 350-6 and amend as shown
§ 350-6.13 Reduced lot line (RLL) developments. {Editor’s Note: replace all instances of “Zero Lot
Line” through the code with “Reduced Lot Line”. Replace all references to 10.14 to 6.13}
Reduced lot line (RLL) developments are developments, or portions of developments, where house lots
have a side yard setback of zero or more feet on a side lot line (the "reduced lot line"). Such a reduction in
the standard side yard setback may be granted if the following standards A-E are met:
A. The reduced lot line side of a house lot:
1) Abuts permanently protected open space; or
2) Abuts the lot line of a lot which is under common ownership at the time the reduced lot
line development is proposed and
i. shares a party wall with the abutting structure on the commonly-owned
lot;
Or
ii. has a reduction from the standard setback such that the combined
setbacks may be up to 10’ less than double the standard setback.
B. A five-foot maintenance easement must be obtained or reserved by the owner of a house on a
reduced lot line from the property owner abutting the reduced lot line in any development
pursuant to A(1) or A(2)(ii) above where the setback is five feet or less to allow normal
maintenance. Said easement may allow a roof overhang of up to two feet and in such case the
easement shall allow roof drainage onto the easement area and sheet flow across the abutting
property.
C. There shall be a minimum of four shade trees of not less than 1.5 inches caliper planted or
maintained on each lot in accordance with the City’s Tree List & Planting Guidelines, including
two along the street frontage. (See also §350-6.5D)
D. Only one principal structure per lot is allowed in a reduced lot line development.
E. Any detached accessory structure on the lot must meet the standard setbacks for such
structures.
Modify Chpt 350-Attachment 7 (URB) & 9 (URC) by adding a reference to reduced lot line section
6.13
Setbacks
Front =10 feet min.
Side = 15 feet min. (URB); 10 feet (URC)
Side = 0 feet on a side for reduced lot line- See §6.13