Special residential uses are townhouses, assisted elderly housing,
public housing, and other multifamily housing.
As provided in § 240-31, Use Regulations Schedule, townhouse dwellings may be allowed on special permit in all except the Industrial District. Such special permits shall be acted on by the Planning Board, subject to the following:
As provided in § 240-31, Use Regulations Schedule, assisted elderly housing may be allowed on special permit in all except the Industrial District. Such special permits shall be acted on by the Planning Board, subject to the following:
A.
As provided in § 240-31, Use Regulations Schedule, multifamily dwellings other than townhouse dwellings, assisted multifamily housing, or public housing are allowed only:
B.
New Multifamily Districts (M) shall each be created only by vote
of the Town Meeting amending the Zoning Map. Each such district shall
not be less than 20 acres in extent, shall front for at least 500
feet on an arterial street, and shall contain not less than 70% vacant
or agricultural land.
C.
Minimum lot area for other multifamily dwellings shall be 40,000
square feet for up to four dwelling units, and 3,000 square feet additional
lot area for each additional family accommodated.
The following shall apply to all special residential uses (townhouse
dwellings, assisted elderly housing, and other multifamily dwellings)
except not to Public Housing.
A.
Bedroom limitation. Not more than 10% of the cumulative number of
dwelling units on the premises having been granted occupancy permits
at any point in time may have three bedrooms (except assisted elderly,
which may have none) and none may have more than three bedrooms, unless
(except in the case of assisted multifamily) the special permit originally
allowing the development explicitly authorizes occupancy permits for
more or larger units. Said authorization shall be granted only where
lot area will equal at least 10,000 square feet per bedroom.
A.
The application for a special permit shall be accompanied by six
copies of:
(1)
A site plan including the items required under § 240-17B(1) (but they may be at a concept rather than final level of detail);
(2)
A proposed staging plan, if building permits are not to be immediately
sought for all units; and
(3)
A ground floor plan and architectural elevations of all proposed
buildings, prepared by a registered architect.
B.
Those materials shall be circulated for review as provided at § 240-16B(2). No special permit shall be decided upon within 35 days of such referral without receipt of advisory reports, from each of those agencies regarding compliance of the proposal to local rules, regulations, and bylaws as well as good practice within their area of concern.
The special permit shall lapse upon transfer of ownership or
within 12 months of special permit approval (plus such time required
to pursue or await the determination of an appeal referred to in M.G.L.
ch. 40A, § 17, from the grant thereof) if a substantial
use thereof or construction has not begun, except for good cause.
In deciding on a special permit for townhouse, assisted elderly housing, or other multifamily dwellings, the following more detailed criteria shall be used rather than those of § 240-25. Such special permit shall be granted only if the Planning Board determines that the proposal would serve Town interests better than would single-family development of the same area, considering the following:
A.
Municipal costs and revenues.
B.
Effect on the range of available housing choice.
C.
Service to identified housing needs.
D.
Service to current Bellingham residents.
E.
Support for local business activity and jobs.
F.
Impact on the natural environment, especially on ground and surface
water quality and level.
G.
Impacts on traffic safety and congestion, adequacy of water service,
and need for school facilities.
H.
Impacts on the visual environment through preservation or displacement
of visual assets, and consistency with existing development in area.
In authorizing townhouse dwellings and other multifamily dwellings,
the Planning Board shall establish an annual limit for the number
of such dwelling units to be authorized, taking into consideration
the Town-wide building rate experienced over the previous two years
and anticipated over the next half-dozen years, the needs which the
housing will serve, the ability of the Town to provide services in
a timely manner, and the housing cost and feasibility consequences
of the limitation.
