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20.166 An Ordinance Relative to Two-Family By Right - Addition of Subsection to Ch. 350-6 - FINALRedline1 City of Northampton MASSACHUSETTS In the Year Two Thousand Twenty Upon the Recommendation of Mayor David J. Narkewicz and Planning & Sustainability 20.166 An Ordinance Relative to Two-Family By Right - Addition of Subsection to Ch. 350-6 An Ordinance of the City of Northampton, Massachusetts, providing that the Code of Ordinances, City of Northampton, Massachusetts, be amended to allow two-family homes/lots by-right in most of the residential districts within the City by amending multiple sections within Chapter 350 relating to definitions, parking, lot layout, design. Be it ordained by the City Council of the City of Northampton, in City Council assembled, as follows: Add New Subsection to Chapter 350-6. 350-6.11 Form Based Criteria for Two-Family and Two Single-Family Homes (EDITOR’s NOTE: Wherever §350-6.11 is noted it should be a hotlink to this new subsection) A. General Standards (1) Any new heating system to serve a second unit on a parcel or a new two-family or two-single families must be fossil fuel-free. This must be shown at the time of building permit application. (2) The dwelling units in a two-family dwelling may be arranged side-by-side, front-and-back, or vertically stacked (up-down), or a combination thereof. (a) Example of vertically stacked two-family dwelling and side-by-side two-family Two-Family By- Right Ordinances 4 of 10 2 (b) Diagram of front-and back and two units per lot two-family dwelling B. Illustrative Examples. (1) The following photos show illustrative examples of two-family dwellings in Northampton. 3 C. Design Standards for Two-Family and Two Single Family structures on a Lot For two-family/two single family, in the URA, B, C zones, there is a minimum building occupancy in accordance with the following: (1) Dimensional Standards URC URB URA Side Setback (min) See Tables Rear Setback (min) See Tables Build-to-Zone (min-max) 10’-25’ 10’-25’ 20’-40’ Building Frontage Occupancy width (min) 20’ 20’ 20’ 1) Building Massing Maximum length of Massing is 50’ “B” (a) A dwelling may have more than one mass. 4 (b) When a mass is attached to another mass, the masses must be designed with one or more of the following: (i) The roofs of adjacent masses run in different directions. (ii) The roofs of adjacent masses that run in the same direction have at least a 2’ difference in height. (iii) Adjacent masses are arranged to create an Ell or T shaped building. The leg of the Ell or the arms of the T must extend at least 8’ beyond an intersecting wall. (iv) Where the walls of adjacent masses are in the same plane, the walls must be offset by at least 4’. Illustrative examples of techniques for making masses distinguishable 2) Building Frontage a. Within the URA, URB, URC zones, in order to create a transitional space between a building’s façade and the public realm that enhances neighborhood character, a new two-family dwelling or substantial alteration of a single-family dwelling that adds 50% or more gross floor area must include a covered front entry that meets the standards below. I. The covered front entry must be located within the build-to-zone, except when a pre-existing building is not located within the build-to zone. 5 II. The covered front entry must face the street. This is required for buildings facing and along the street front within the build-to zone. This is not applicable for additional structures built behind such buildings and which are not within the build-to zone. III. A covered front entry must have a minimum contiguous floor area of six (6) feet by eight (8) feet, exclusive of any stairs or ramps, for each unit’s entry. The Planning Board, through site plan review may approve a smaller size but not smaller than 4’x4’ for each unit. IV. The roof must cover an area of at least 4’x4’ . V. At least one side of the covered entry shall be open between 3’ and 7’ above its floor surface. VI. A front entry may project beyond the front façade of a building or may be integral to the overall massing and roof form of the building. VII. Any stair egresses to porches above first floor covered entries must be within the footprint of the porch and may not project on the exterior of the porch footprint if it is within the build-to-zone. 6 Illustrative examples: b. A two-family dwelling may have a shared front entry, or two separate front entries. c. When a dwelling or dwelling unit is located to the rear of another dwelling unit that has a covered front entry, the principal entrance to the rear dwelling may face the side or rear of the lot. In this case, the covered front entry must be at 7 least 20’ from the lot line unless other means to create a buffer/private outdoor space to adjoining properties are approved by the Planning Board. The entrance must meet the requirements for a covered front entry as described above. 3) Parking/Garage Placement a. General Parking i. A parking area must be located to the side or rear of a dwelling. No more than 1 parking space may be located in front of a dwelling’s front façade. ii. Where a pre-existing parking area in front of a dwelling’s front facade is proposed to be used in association with a new two-family use: the parking area may be expanded toward the side of the lot but may not encroach further in front of the home between the home and the street. iii. No more than four cars may be parked beside a dwelling. Additional vehicles must be parked behind a dwelling or inside a garage. iv. Parking for more than four cars shall be separated by landscaped areas of at least six (6) feet by six (6) feet. v. Parking areas behind a dwelling shall be adequately screened to block car headlights from illuminating adjacent properties vi. The Planning Board may issue a special permit for alternative parking configurations when: the proposed design maintains an equal level of safety and no more than four cars will be visible from a public way Illustrative Examples of Parking Configurations 8 b. Detached Garage Design i. When a detached garage is located to the side of a dwelling and the garage doors face and are visible from the street, the width of the detached garage must be no more than 75% of the width of the principal dwelling on the property. ii. Detached Garage Front Setback -20’ min c. Attached Garage Design i. When an attached garage is located between two dwelling units, the garage doors must face the side or rear of the lot. ii. When the garage door(s) of an attached garage faces and is visible from the street, no garage door shall be wider than 12’. iii. For attached garages in the SR, RR, and WSP districts when the garage doors do not face the street, the façade of the garage visible from the street shall have window glazing that covers at least 20% of that exterior façade. 4) Screening a. All exterior mechanical structures must be located along the sides or rear of structures or screened from view from public ways. b. All refuse containers must be contained within a structure or screened from view from a public way and adjacent properties. c. For every tree over 3” in caliper removed for construction, a replacement shade tree of at least 1” caliper must be planted on the property. When more than three trees are required for replacement, a variety of shade trees selected from the Planning Board’s tree planting list must be selected.