Gorham is a desirable residential community, and much growth is occurring outside of existing built-up areas. The purpose of the Suburban Residential District is to designate areas where new low-density residential growth can occur in a manner which provides a high-quality living environment while minimizing local service costs. Development within this district may occur in accordance with the cluster development 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 Suburban Residential District:
A. 
One- and two-family dwellings, exclusive of mobile homes.
B. 
Nursing homes or homes for the aged.
C. 
Municipally owned parks and playgrounds.
D. 
Accessory uses and buildings, including home occupations.
E. 
Agricultural buildings and uses, 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.
F. 
Manufactured housing units on single-family residential lots in designated manufactured housing subdistricts.
G. 
Municipal buildings or uses.
H. 
Apartment buildings or multifamily housing.
I. 
Public and private utility facilities, including substations, pumping stations and treatment facilities, but excluding business offices.
J. 
School, hospital, church, or any other nonresidential institution of educational, religious, philanthropic, fraternal organization, or social nature 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.
K. 
Golf courses and country clubs.
L. 
Roadside stands.
M. 
Accessory apartments.
N. 
Reuse of an existing agricultural building for nonresidential use that meets the performance standards of § 300-1.39.
O. 
Rural entrepreneurial use that meets the performance standards of § 300-1.39.
P. 
Bed-and-breakfast establishment.
[Amended 8-5-2025 by Ord. No. 25-82]
The following are special exceptions in the Suburban Residential District:
A. 
Day-care center.
B. 
Cemeteries.
C. 
Sawmill.
D. 
Mineral extraction.
E. 
School, hospital, church or any other nonresidential institution of education, religious, philanthropic, fraternal organization or social nature and has 2,000 or more square feet of floor area or generates 200 or more vehicle trips during any twenty-four-hour period.
F. 
Veterinary clinics, exclusive of kennels or boarding facilities.
G. 
Bed-and-breakfast establishment with public dining as an accessory use.
H. 
Inn.
A. 
Standards.
(1) 
Minimum lot size: 60,000 square feet.
(2) 
Minimum lot area per dwelling unit: 40,000 square feet.
(3) 
Minimum street frontage: 200 feet (Note: May be reduced up to 50% for lots fronting on turning circles, provided that the lot width at the front setback line is equal to or greater than the minimum street frontage required.)
(4) 
Minimum front yard, local street: 50 feet.
(5) 
Minimum front yard, collector or arterial street: 70 feet.
(6) 
Minimum side and rear yards: 20 feet.
(7) 
Maximum building height: None.
B. 
Notwithstanding the provisions of this § 300-1.38, an auxiliary public utility structure is exempt from the minimum lot size and street frontage requirements of this district. Structures must meet setback requirements. Additional screening and buffering can be requested by the Planning Board.
A. 
The performance standards contained in Part 2 of this Land Use and Development Code shall be fully observed.
B. 
Rural entrepreneurial uses, including the reuse of existing agricultural buildings. In addition to the performance standards of Part 2, any rural entrepreneurial use or the reuse of an existing agricultural building for a nonresidential use shall meet the following standards:
(1) 
Notwithstanding the minimum lot size requirement of § 300-1.38, a rural entrepreneurial use or the reuse of an existing agricultural building shall be permitted only on a lot with an area of at least three acres. If the lot contains another principal use(s), the lot must have at least three acres for the rural entrepreneurial use or reuse of an existing agricultural building in addition to the area required for the other principal use(s).
(2) 
The total floor area for all buildings and structures used as part of the rural entrepreneurial use(s), but not including any part of a basement that is used only for storage or mechanical uses, shall be not more than 1% of the area of the lot on which it is located or 5,000 square feet, whichever is less. The 5,000 square foot limitation shall not apply to the reuse of an existing agricultural building, provided the total floor area for all buildings and structures used for such reuse, excluding any part of a basement that is used only for storage or mechanical uses, shall not be more than 1% of the area of the lot on which it is located.
(3) 
Vehicular access to the lot on which the use is located shall be from a public street that is classified by the Town as an arterial street, collector street, industrial or commercial street, or service road. In addition, the reuse of an existing agricultural building may get its vehicular access from a subcollector if the lot on which it will be located is at least five acres in area.
(4) 
The total number of peak-hour trip ends generated by the use based upon the ITE Trip Generation Manual shall not exceed one trip end per 200 square feet of gross floor area occupied by the nonresidential use.
(5) 
The use of the building shall be limited to low-impact nonresidential activities such as, but not limited to, personal, business and repair services, business and professional offices, light industrial uses, research facilities, and warehousing and storage, and shall not involve the retail sale of goods except as accessory to another principal use. Any use that is listed as a special exception in the Suburban Residential District shall not be allowed as a rural entrepreneurial use or the reuse of an existing agricultural building and shall be allowed only with approval of a special exception for that use.
(6) 
The nonresidential activity shall occur completely within the building and there shall be no outside storage of materials, equipment or products; except nonresidential activities stated in the standard in Subsection B(12). No equipment or machinery associated with the use other than normal heating and ventilation units shall be located or operated outside of the building.
(7) 
The reuse of an existing agricultural building shall maintain the architectural character of the existing building, and changes to the exterior of the structure shall be limited to minor changes and/or additions needed to provide access or light or to comply with code requirements. The design of any new, expanded or reused building other than an existing agricultural building shall be residential or rural/agricultural in character with a pitched roof with a minimum roof pitch of 5:12. Exterior materials shall be similar to those used on existing residential or agricultural buildings in the district.
(8) 
Parking associated with the use shall not be located in any required setback. If the building is located within 100 feet of the front lot line, no parking shall be permitted between the front lot line and the front wall of the building extending the full width of the lot. Parking shall be screened from view from public streets or abutting properties in residential use through landscaping, fencing or topography.
(9) 
The use shall not produce noise, odors, fumes, vibrations, lighting or electrical interference at the boundaries of the parcel that exceeds the levels produced by typical single-family residential uses.
(10) 
The hours of operation of the use shall be compatible with surrounding uses and may be limited by the Planning Board as part of the approval of the site plan to assure compatibility.
(11) 
Notwithstanding the provisions of Part 2, Article 2-3, Signs, the nonresidential activity may have one nonilluminated, double-sided sign with an area of not more than 24 square feet per side. If there is more than one business entity occupying the building, there shall be a single, nonilluminated, double-sided sign with an area of not more than 48 square feet per side for all of the businesses.
(12) 
The nonresidential activity not occurring completely within the building will be compatible with the surrounding uses as determined through the application of standards in Subsection B(1) through (11) and may be limited by the Planning Board as part of the approval of the site plan to assure compatibility.
Many parts of the Suburban Residential Zone have public water available and public sewerage is planned in limited areas. Since the availability of these utilities reduces the development limitations imposed by soil characteristics, provision is made for a density bonus if one or both of these utilities will be utilized in the development.
A. 
If public water or public sewer is utilized in the development, one additional dwelling unit may be constructed for each three acres of the net acreage of the site. Individual lot sizes and frontage requirements may be reduced by up to 25%.
B. 
If public water and public sewer are utilized in the development, one additional dwelling unit may be constructed for each 1.5 acres of the net acreage of the site. Individual lot sizes and frontage requirements may be reduced by up to 50%.