The purpose of this chapter is to establish districts in which
the classes and kinds of structures and permitted uses shall be uniform.
A. Rural Residential District (RRD). The purpose of this district is
to establish and preserve areas for residential development while
maintaining the character of the rural landscape and open space. This
district is intended to be the lowest density district in the City.
B. Suburban Residential District (SRD). The purpose of this district
is to establish and preserve areas for residential development while
maintaining the atmosphere of open space. Density requirements shall
be greater than the Rural Residential District and lower than the
Urban Residential District.
C. Urban Residential District (URD). The purpose of this district is
to establish and preserve areas for residential use.
D. Business District (BD). The purpose of this district is to designate
appropriate areas for commercial uses intended to serve retail sales
and service needs at a City-wide and neighborhood scale. This district
is intended to have architecture with high aesthetic value reflecting
the historical character of the business community of Taunton. Multifamily
dwelling units are allowed on the upper floors of commercial buildings
creating a mixed-use environment.
E. Central Business District (CBD). The purpose of this district is
to designate appropriate areas for commercial uses intended to serve
retail sales and service needs at a City-wide, neighborhood and regional
scale. This district is intended to have architecture with high aesthetic
value reflecting the historical character of the business community
of Taunton. Multifamily dwelling units are allowed on the upper floors
of commercial buildings creating a mixed-use environment.
F. Office District (OD). The purpose of this district is to establish
and preserve areas for employment activities and services to the public
which do not materially detract from abutting residential areas yet
support adjacent business areas.
G. Highway Business District (HBD). The purpose of this district is
to establish and preserve areas for commercial uses designed and intended
primarily to serve the needs of surrounding residential development.
Development in this district should be designed to minimize traffic
congestion on the roads, maximize green space and provide aesthetically
pleasing architecture with the intent of enhancing the visual character
of the major roads.
H. Multifamily/business district regulations. The purpose of these districts
is to create an additional use for the upper floors of existing commercial
buildings in all business districts.
I. Industrial District (ID). The purpose of this district is to establish
and preserve areas that are suitable for the development of industrial
and manufacturing uses, warehousing and distribution uses, and commercial
activity.
J. Open Space and Conservancy District (OSC). The purpose of this district
is to establish and preserve areas for government facilities and open
space.
K. Floodplain District (FPD) and Special Flood Hazard District (SFHD).
The purpose of these districts is to ensure that land subject to flooding
will not be used in a manner to endanger health or safety, that no
structure shall be erected or substantially reconstructed without
adequate floodproofing and structural design capable of resisting
flood hazards, and that no activities will unreasonably raise flood
levels within the district.
L. Water and Aquifer Resource Protection District (WARPD). The purpose
of this district is to overlay the underlying zoning regulations in
order to protect the aquifers and groundwater wells in the City of
Taunton.
M. Roadway Improvement Overlay District.
(1)
The purpose of the Roadway Improvement Overlay District (the
"District") is to preserve the value of the lots within the District
as the lots previously existed prior to the acquisition by the City
(by purchase, gift, eminent domain, or otherwise) of portions of the
lots in the district for the purposes of widening public streets and
public ways.
(2)
As used herein the term "acquired land" shall mean that portion
of a lot which was acquired by the City of Taunton for the purposes
of widening and otherwise improving public streets and public ways.
The phrase "as the lot previously existed" shall mean the configuration
of a lot prior to the City of Taunton's acquisition of the acquired
land. The phrase "eligible lot" shall mean any lot that has been reduced
in size and/or configuration due to an acquisition of a portion of
the lot by the City of Taunton after January 1, 1998, for the purposes
of widening public streets and public ways.
(3)
The boundaries of the district shall coincide with the municipal
limits of the City of Taunton.
(4)
For the purposes of this chapter, any eligible lot within the
City shall have this chapter administered as follows:
(a) For the purpose of all of the requirements of §
440-603, Intensity of use, the conformance of each eligible lot shall be calculated by including in the lot the acquired land.
(b) For the purposes of §
440-502, Use regulations, no use shall be considered nonconforming if it was a legal use as of the date of the adoption of this chapter and which would continue to be a legal use if the acquired land were still a part of the eligible lot.
N. Airport District. The purpose of this district is to establish and
preserve areas for uses intended and designed primarily to serve the
needs of the municipal airport