[Added 2-1-2022; amended 8-1-2023 by Ord. No. 23-104]
[Amended 8-5-2025 by Ord. No. 25-82]
The purpose of the Urban Residential Expansion District is to expand and add to the physical, aesthetic and social quality of Gorham's urban area, consistent with the Comprehensive Plan's goals of providing a location for 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 1, Article 1-18, of this Land Use and Development Code.
[Amended 4-4-2023 by Ord. No. 23-58; 8-5-2025 by Ord. No. 25-82]
The following are permitted uses in the Urban Residential Expansion 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. 
Accessory residential uses, including home occupations.
F. 
Manufactured housing units on single-family residential lots.
G. 
Rooming house, apartment building or multifamily housing, except collegiate Greek system residences.
H. 
Public utility facilities, including substations, pumping stations and sewage treatment facilities.
I. 
School, hospital, church, or any other institution of educational, religious, philanthropic, fraternal organization or social nature which is not use 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.
J. 
Accessory apartments.
K. 
Bed-and-breakfast establishments.
L. 
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.
[Amended 8-5-2025 by Ord. No. 25-82]
The following are special exceptions in the Urban Residential Expansion District:
A. 
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.
B. 
Bed-and-breakfast establishments with public dining as an accessory use.
A. 
Standards.
Sewered
Unsewered
Minimum lot size for residential lots which are not part of a subdivision
20,000 square feet
40,000 square feet
Minimum lot area per dwelling units for a subdivision or multifamily housing*
20,000 square feet
40,000 square feet
Minimum street frontage
100 feet
150 feet
Minimum front yard
25 feet
25 feet
Minimum rear and side yards
15 feet
15 feet
Maximum building height
None
None
Maximum building coverage
25%
25%
* The net residential density identified under § 300-1.29, Definitions, shall be used to calculate the maximum number of dwelling units that can be placed on a parcel. Each lot in a subdivision shall have the minimum area per dwelling unit for the number of dwelling units proposed to be on a given lot.
B. 
Notwithstanding the provisions of this § 300-1.134, 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.
A. 
The performance standards contained in Part 2 of this Land Use and Development Code shall be fully observed.
B. 
Nonresidential developments and uses shall be developed to meet the following requirements:
(1) 
All principal buildings and structures for nonresidential purposes shall be of a traditional New England Village design to be compatible with the predominant scale and character of the existing Gorham Village architecture.
C. 
Residential developments shall be developed to meet the following requirements:
(1) 
Streets; number of dwelling units.
(a) 
Layout of a street network shall be completed in a grid style to ensure two points of connection for each street. The Planning Board may waive the requirement for two points of connection for a portion of the development if the Planning Board finds that no other alternate street network is possible with two points of connection or it would be a financial hardship to complete the required two points of connection. For purposes of this section, a financial hardship shall be considered to exist if establishing the two points of connection would utilize more than 25% of cost of the entire development.
(b) 
The number of dwelling units used in the calculation shall be based on the maximum number of dwelling units allowed on the parcel as identified under § 300-1.134, Space standards. The request for waiver shall include two plans: One plan shall show a street/private way layout having two points of connection; and the other plan shall show a street/private way layout with a dead-end street/private way plan. The road layouts shown on both plans must be approved by the Planning Board.
(c) 
If the Planning Board grants a waiver of the requirement for two points of connection for dead-end streets or private ways providing access to more than four lots and/or dwelling units, the street or private way shall be of a cul-de-sac design meeting all the relevant requirements under Part 2, Article 2-5, Minimum Standards for Design and Construction of Streets and Ways.
(d) 
Private ways serving a single lot and a single dwelling unit are exempt from the requirement for two points of connection.
(2) 
Principal single-family, two-family and multifamily buildings and structures shall be of a traditional New England design to be compatible with the predominant scale and character of the existing Gorham Village architecture.