For the purpose of this chapter, the Town of Lee is hereby divided into the following types of use districts:
A. 
Residential.
(1) 
Residential 20 District (R-20).
(2) 
Residential 30 District (R-30).
(3) 
Residential-Agricultural District (RA).
(4) 
Residential-Multiple Dwelling District (RM).
(5) 
Conservation-Residential District (CR).
B. 
Business.
(1) 
(Reserved)[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: Former § 199-2.1B(1), Business-Multiple Dwelling District, was repealed 3-24-2022 STM by Art. 11.
(2) 
Rural Business District (RB).
(3) 
Planned Commercial Village Center (PCVC).
(4) 
Commercial Business Corridor District (CBC).
(5) 
Downtown Commercial Business Corridor (DCBC).
C. 
Industrial.
(1) 
Industrial District (I).
(2) 
Office Park and Light Industrial District (OPLI).
For the purposes of this chapter, the Town of Lee has established the following overlay districts:
A. 
Floodplain (FP).
B. 
Adaptive Reuse (AROD).
C. 
Smart Growth (SGOD).
The purpose of the districts noted below shall be as follows:
A. 
OPLI. The purpose of the OPLI District is to:
(1) 
Provide an attractive setting for office, research and development and light industrial uses.
(2) 
Promote job creation along with growth in the Town's tax base.
(3) 
Maintain aesthetic sensitivity and compatibility with the surrounding community.
(4) 
Ensure the efficient use of municipal services so that new industrial development does not create a burden on these services.
(5) 
Minimize the overall impact of development on the immediate environment.
(6) 
Maximize the use of the site's natural characteristics.
B. 
I. The purpose of the Industrial District (I) is to provide locations for manufacturing and other activities which will:
(1) 
Promote job creation and employment opportunities along with positive growth in the Town's tax base.
(2) 
Promote economic development.
(3) 
Encourage reuse of existing buildings, facilities and infrastructure.
(4) 
Assist in the preservation of open space, Town character and its environment.
C. 
PCVC. The purpose of the PCVC District is to:
(1) 
Provide an attractive setting for large commercial retail and/or office or institutional structures in a village atmosphere.
(2) 
Promote job creation along with growth in the Town's tax base.
(3) 
Maximize the use of the site's natural characteristics.
(4) 
Maintain aesthetic sensitivity and compatibility with the surrounding community.
(5) 
Minimize the overall impact of development on the immediate environment, neighborhood and community.
D. 
CBC.
(1) 
It is the intent of this district to create an attractive and desirable entrance to the center of Lee that preserves the existing historical architectural character of the corridor and the surrounding area and that encompasses the highway corridor from the Massachusetts Turnpike, Exit 2 west, on U.S. Route 20 to High Street. A mix of commercial and residential uses is permitted, with restrictions on building size and parking locations. Landscaping requirements are mandated in the front setback. In order to limit access points on Route 20, access on other streets and the use of common parking areas and driveways are encouraged.
(2) 
Additionally, the Town of Lee's intent for the Commercial Business Corridor District is to:
(a) 
Encourage types of uses such as real estate, insurance and finance.
(b) 
Preserve and/or reuse existing buildings and uses.
(c) 
Provide an attractive setting for commercial retail structures in a village atmosphere.
(d) 
Promote job creation along with growth in the Town's tax base.
(e) 
Maximize the use of the site's natural characteristics.
(f) 
Maintain aesthetic sensitivity and compatibility with the surrounding community.
(g) 
Minimize the overall impact of development on the immediate environment and neighborhood and, in particular, reduce the impact of traffic and parking along the corridor.
E. 
DCBC.
(1) 
It is the intent of this district to preserve the architectural and commercial character of the historic downtown from Park Street through Center Street. A mix of commercial and residential uses is permitted, with restrictions on building height, parking locations and setbacks.
(2) 
Additionally, the Town of Lee's intent for the Downtown Commercial Business Corridor is to:
(a) 
Encourage downtown commercial uses which will primarily serve the needs of the people of Lee and the surrounding communities and, secondarily, attract visitors to utilize the downtown.
(b) 
Maintain the historic "real town" scale and mix of retail and service establishments in the town center.
(c) 
Attract new investment and help create new jobs in the downtown.
(d) 
Improve the safety and comfort for pedestrians in the downtown.
(e) 
Encourage rehabilitation of existing structures and development of new buildings with high architectural standards which are compatible with the eclectic grouping of commercial and public buildings and which give downtown Lee its special character as a working New England town center.
A. 
The location and boundaries of these districts are hereby established as shown on a map entitled "Zoning Map of Lee, Massachusetts" dated October 28, 2011, bearing the signature of the members of the Planning Board and on file in the office of the Town Clerk, which map, with all explanatory matter thereon, is hereby made a part of this chapter.
B. 
Where a street constitutes a zone boundary, the center line of that street is the boundary.