This article provides for a tiny home park as a use for review under Article
XVI of this chapter. This regulation seeks to allow for tiny homes as defined in 30-A M.R.S.A. § 4363 in the State of Maine statutes to be placed in park setting akin to a mobile home park. The intention of these regulations is to allow for the creation of neighborhoods of tiny homes to create a diversified housing stock.
Tiny home parks and expansions thereof shall conform to the
following minimum requirements:
A. A tiny
home park shall be located on a single parcel of land having a sufficient
overall area to accommodate, in addition to the individual lots, all
road rights-of-way and all buffer strips, open space, and other areas
required under this chapter or under any other applicable law, rule
or regulation.
B. Dimensional
requirements.
(1) Each
individual tiny home lot or lease area shall not be less than 1,000
square feet in area.
(2) The
lot area of the tiny home park in the following districts shall be
as follows:
(a) Low-Density Residential District (LDR) shall have a minimum 12,000
SF lot.
(b) High-Density Residential District (HDR) shall have a minimum 8,000
SF lot.
(c) Rural Residence and Agriculture (RR& A) shall have a minimum
1 1/ 2 acre lot.
(3) All
homes in the tiny home park shall be set back from existing streets
at the same minimum distance required for the front yard setback in
the underlying zone. The setback for the underlying zone for side
and rear setbacks shall also apply to the park boundary.
(4) No
tiny home shall be located less than five feet from the front, side
and rear lines of an individual lot or lease area, and there shall
be a minimum distance of 10 feet between adjacent tiny homes.
(5) No
structures may exceed the height requirements of the underlying zone
of the park.
(6) Unless
otherwise outlined herein, no other dimensional requirements of the
underlying zone shall apply to a tiny home park.
(7) If
leased, no lease for a tiny home shall be less than 30 days.
C. Streets,
walks and parking,
(1) All
tiny home parks shall be provided with safe and convenient vehicular
access from abutting public streets or roads to the park. All streets
within the park shall have a minimum right-of-way width of 30 feet.
Pavement width shall be no less than 24 feet where parking is permitted
on both sides of the street. Where parking is permitted on only one
side of a street, the minimum pavement width shall be 21 feet, and
where all on-street parking is prohibited, the minimum pavement width
shall be 20 feet.
(2) All
streets within a tiny home park shall have a sidewalk on one side
of the street, meeting minimum standards as established by the City
Engineer.
(3) Dead-end
streets shall be limited in length to 1,000 feet and at the closed
end shall be provided with a turnaround having a minimum radius of
50 feet. The Planning Board may allow an optional turnaround design
subject to review by the Fire Department.
(4) Required
parking spaces may be provided on the tiny home lot or within the
park boundary as approved by the Planning Board.
(5) The
Planning Board, upon review, may waive or otherwise alter the minimum
number of required parking spaces if there is ample bicycle parking/storage
or if the park is within 1/3 mile walking distance to a bus route
at the time of application.
D. Landscaping.
(1) Where
possible, existing trees shall be preserved, and tiny homes shall
be oriented with respect to scenic vistas, natural landscape features,
topography and natural drainage areas.
(2) Screen
planting, subject to review by the Planning Board, shall be provided
around the boundaries of the park and garbage and trash collection
stations. Screens shall consist of shrubs or trees at least five feet
wide and, at the time of planting, at least four feet in height and
eventually reaching a mature height of at least 10 feet. Street tree
planting (Buffer E) shall occur along the boundary adjacent to the
street providing access to the park.
E. Recreation
areas shall be provided for the use of occupants of the tiny home
park. The size of such areas shall be a minimum of 10% of the area
of the park. The location of such facilities shall be approved by
the Planning Board.
F. All transformer
boxes, substations, pumping stations and meters shall be located and
designed so as not to be unsightly or hazardous to the public.