[Amended 8-5-2025 by Ord. No. 25-82]
The purpose of the Urban Residential District is to preserve the physical, aesthetic and social quality of Gorham's urban area and, consistent with this stated goal, to provide therein for the location of a variety of residential and service uses in accordance with the standards of this Part 1. To this end, residential development shall not exceed the net residential density allowable herein and may preferably occur in accordance with the provisions of Part 2, Article 2-4, of this Land Use and Development Code.
[Amended 8-5-2025 by Ord. No. 25-82]
The following are permitted uses in the Urban Residential District:
A. 
One- or two-family dwellings, exclusive of mobile homes and exclusive of trailers.
B. 
Nursing home, home for the aged.
C. 
Municipal building or use.
D. 
Municipally owned parks and playgrounds.
E. 
Telephone exchange, without business office.
F. 
Any agricultural building or use except a sawmill. Keeping of animals other than household pets shall conform to the requirements of Part 2, Article 2-12, Keeping of Urban Farm Animals.
G. 
Accessory residential uses, including home occupations.
H. 
Manufactured housing units on single-family residential lots in designated manufactured housing subdistricts.
I. 
Rooming house, apartment building or multifamily housing, except collegiate Greek system residences.
J. 
Announcement sign or bulletin board for the use of a public, charitable or religious institution, occupying the premises on which the sign or board is located.
K. 
Public utility facilities, including substations, pumping stations and sewage treatment facilities.
L. 
School, hospital, church, or any other institution of educational, religious, philanthropic, fraternal organization, or social nature which is not used for residential or commercial purposes, which has less than 2,000 square feet of floor area and generates fewer than 200 vehicle trips during any twenty-four-hour period, except collegiate Greek system residences.
M. 
Accessory apartments.
N. 
Bed-and-breakfast establishments.
[Amended 8-5-2025 by Ord. No. 25-82]
The following are special exceptions in the Urban Residential District:
A. 
Day-care center.
B. 
School, hospital, church or any other institution of education, religious, philanthropic, fraternal organization or social nature which is not used for residential purposes and has 2,000 or more square feet of floor area or generates 200 or more vehicle trips during any twenty-four-hour period.
C. 
Bed-and-breakfast establishment with public dining as an accessory use.
D. 
Inn.
[Amended 1-5-2021; 3-4-2025 by Ord. No. 25-24]
Watered and Sewered
Unsewered
Minimum lot size
10,000 square feet**
20,000 square feet
Minimum area per dwelling unit
10,000 square feet
20,000 square feet
Minimum street frontage
80 feet
80 feet
Minimum front yard setback
15 feet
25 feet
Minimum rear and side yards
15 feet*
15 feet*
Maximum building height
None
None
Maximum building coverage
25%
25%
*
Buildings higher than 30 feet shall have side and rear yards not less than 50% of building height.
**
The June 3, 1997, amendment to the minimum lot size shall apply prospectively only, from that date forward, and only to: 1) lots newly created after that date as evidenced by a deed on record in the Cumberland County Registry of Deeds on or before that date; or 2) lots not part of a subdivision plan approved on or before that date or lots in a proposed subdivision plan grandfathered by law on or before that date.
Notwithstanding the provisions of this § 300-1.33, an auxiliary public utility structure is exempt from the minimum lot size, building coverage and street frontage requirements of this district. Structures must meet setback requirements. Additional screening and buffering can be requested by the Planning Board.