2 - Town of Colchester

POSSIBLE REGULATORY LANGUAGE – OPEN SPACE RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT
Buildable Area – Land exclusive of wetlands, watercourses or waterbodies, 100-year floodplain, ledge outcrops, and slopes greater than
25%.
a. Land not classified as buildable area shall not be used to calculate density for any residential use.
b. Any parcel developed for single-family residential use shall observe the following regulations:
Maximum Density Buildable
Single-Family (units/acre of Square Minimum Contiguous Minimum Frontage
Zone buildable land) (feet) Buildable Area Per Lot Arterial/Collector Roads On Local Streets
R-80 0.35 - 0.40 150 50,000 square feet 400 200
R-60 0.50 – 0.60 150 40,000 square feet 300 150
R-40 0.70 - 0.80 150 30,000 square feet 250 125
R-30 1.10 – 1.20 100 22,500 square feet 250 125
R-30A 1.10 – 1.20 100 22,500 square feet 200 100
R-15 2.20 – 2.30 100 15,000 square feet 150 100
c. In residential subdivisions of four lots or less, the Zoning & Planning Commission may modify the density requirements by rounding up
fractions greater than 0.50 to the next integer. This provision shall not apply to resubdivisions.
d
Any lot developed for any use shall obtain a certification by the Town Health Officer that the proposed use will be connected to a public
sewer or that a functioning septic system can be provided in accordance with the requirements of the State Health Code, as amended.
Maximizing Open Space
A subdivision regulation
allowing the Commission to
require that any area over the
minimum lot size
requirement for the zone be
deeded to the Town or a land
trust for open space would
maximize the open space
preserved as part of a
subdivision. It could be
required of any individual lot
or of multiple lots in a
subdivision.
This option could be
considered in the future if
Colchester desires to
maximize the amount of open
space provided in a
subdivision.
e. Every subdivision shall preserve a minimum of twenty percent (20%) of the parcel areas as open space that is deeded to the Town of
Colchester, a recognized Land Trust, or a homeowner’s association.
f. The Zoning & Planning Commission may reduce the minimum lot area and/or minimum lot frontage requirements for lots in a subdivision
in proportion to the amount of open space that is preserved in perpetuity on the parcel in excess of the minimum requirement. (For
example, if 30 percent of the parcel is preserved as open space, the minimum contiguous buildable area per lot may be reduced by up to 20
percent). Prior to modifying any such requirement, the Commission shall make findings on the record that:
• there will be a significant or community benefit resulting from the open space that is being preserved in perpetuity, such as:
• protection of important natural resources,
• protection of scenic resources,
• preservation of a sizable area of open space,
• preservation of areas along Town or State roads that will protect rural appearance or character,
• establishment of an open space corridor or greenway or interconnection of existing open spaces, and/or
• provision for public access.
• that the open space will not result in small or fragmented open space parcels that do not provide community benefits.
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