Article 1-25 South Gorham Crossroads District

Accessory apartment.

Apartment building.

Multifamily housing.

Nonresidential uses:

Golf course.

Country club.

Indoor recreation facility.

Outdoor recreation facility.

Nonresidential uses, each of which is permitted in the district as part of a mixed-use building or mixed-use development:

Accessory building.

Auxiliary public utility structure.

Business and professional offices.

Business services.

(5)

Commercial school.

(6)

Conference center or banquet hall.

Day-care center.

Essential services.

Funeral home.

Gasoline station.

Hotel.

Home occupation.

Indoor recreation facility.

(14)

Light industrial use.

(15)

Municipal building or use.

(16)

Office of contractor or tradesperson.

(17)

Personal services.

(18)

Place of public assembly, including indoor theater.

(19)

Public utility facilities, including electrical substations and pumping stations.

(20)

Repair services.

(21)

Retail store.

(22)

School, hospital, church or any other institution of education, religious, philanthropic, fraternal organization or social nature which is not used for residential occupancy.

§ 300-1.138 Dimensional standards.

[Amended 8-5-2025 by Ord. No. 25-86]

Minimum lot size.

Public water and sewer: 15,000 square feet.

Unsewered: 20,000 square feet.

Minimum area per dwelling unit: None.

Minimum street frontage: 80 feet.

Front yard:

Principal building: 25 feet maximum.

§ 300-1.139 Site performance standards.

Accessory building: 25 feet minimum.

Minimum side and rear yards: 10 feet; except buildings higher than 30 feet shall have side and rear yards not less than 50% of the building height.

Maximum building height: 50 feet or four stories, whichever is greater.

Notwithstanding the provisions of this § 300-1.138, 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.

Residential gross floor area shall be at least 50% of the total gross floor area of a mixed-use structure or at least 60% of the gross floor areas as part of a mixed-use development.

Mixed-use building: a minimum of 50% of the gross floor area shall be utilized for nonresidential uses in a single-story structure. In a multistory building, the first floor shall be utilized for nonresidential uses with all upper floors being allowed for either residential or nonresidential uses.

Mixed-use development: a minimum of 60% of the gross floor area shall be utilized for nonresidential uses in a development to be considered a mixed-use development under this subsection.

Notwithstanding the provisions of this section, 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.

[Amended 3-12-2024 by Ord. No. 24-32; 8-5-2025 by Ord. No. 25-82]

Master site development plan for phased projects. A master site development plan is intended to show an overall development scheme for a large property so that the Planning Board can ensure that development of large sites, with potential Town-wide or regional impacts, proceeds in an orderly sequence with coordinated phasing. Master site development plans are to assure adequate provisions are made to protect public health and safety, taking into account such factors as traffic safety and access; water supply and sewage disposal; management of stormwater, erosion and sedimentation; protection of the environment, and other criteria as noted below.

A master site development plan is required when the subject property has a cumulative lot area of more than five acres, and the site is designed as a cohesive development program consisting of multiple buildings and associated site improvements proposed to be built in phases.

A master site development plan must show:

Public and private rights-of-way which should be consistent with Gorham's road standards ordinance. Any deviation from these standards must be noted on the plan. If extensions of roads are proposed in later phases, the master site development plan must also show the location of turnarounds where the right-of-way ends at the phase line delineations shown as per Subsection A(2)(b) below.

Phase delineations showing the extent of site work and development proposed for each phase.

(c)

Areas designated for stormwater control, management or retention. All stormwater management site improvements must be made as part of the first phase of the master site development plan.

(d)

Areas designated for open space and green space, as well as for sidewalks, paths and greenways as required by Subsection G below.

(e)

Parking sufficient to meet the requirements of Part 2, Article 2-2, Parking, Loading and Traffic. However, the use of on-street parking is encouraged. Mixed-use development proposals may include parallel or angled on-street parking. If such new on-street parking proposed as part of a phase of the master site development plan receives final approval from the Planning Board, it can be used to satisfy the requirements of Part 2, Article 2-2.

A master site development plan approval shall not be construed as final authorization for development. Approval shall be a preliminary approval for the overall project site, and confer pending proceeding status upon the development with the effect of maintaining the applicability of regulations in effect at the time of approval, as long as the master site development plan remains valid, including permissible extensions, if granted.

Each phase of the approved master site development plan must receive final approval from the Planning Board.

The approved plan shall not be released for recording until the required performance guarantee has been posted for the first phase. If an approved plan has not been recorded within one year of the original approval, it shall become null and void. All subsequent phases must receive final approval and be recorded within five years of the master site plan approval, or those phases will become null and void.

All buildings, structures and uses shall conform to the following additional performance standards:

The general performance standards of Part 2;

The site plan approval criteria and standards of Part 4, Site Plan Review, § 300-4.9, where applicable; and

If there is conflict between the various standards of performance, the more restrictive provision shall apply.

Vehicular access and circulation. In addition to being safe and convenient, vehicular access into the site shall be designed to minimize traffic delays on the streets providing access to the site and shall meet the following requirements. Entrances to uses in this district shall be combined to the maximum extent possible.

Each parcel shall be limited to a maximum of one entrance. Lots with frontage on two streets must locate the entrance on the street of lower volume or classification. The Planning Board may approve an additional entrance on a second street as part of site plan review.

A parcel that does not have frontage on a street shall not be granted vehicular access from that street except in cases where access will be provided through a combined entrance with another parcel.

Provisions shall be made for the interconnection of parking lots on adjacent parcels where feasible and appropriate to allow vehicular circulation between lots without having to go onto the public street. Such interconnections shall be designed to minimize the potential for the parking areas to be used as a "short cut" by traffic.

Off-street parking.

Location. No off-street parking shall be located within any required front, side or rear yard or setback. No portion of the lot in front of the front building line shall be used for off-street parking. Parking may be located in the side and rear setbacks if the Planning Board determines that the proposed design constitutes a creative parking solution that maximizes parking, encourages shared parking and/or cross access with adjacent properties.

The amount of off-street parking required by Part 2, Article 2-2, Parking, Loading and Traffic, may be reduced for uses in this district in accordance with the provisions of Article 2-2.

Relationship of the building to the street.

At least one building entrance shall be located on the side of the building that fronts the street.

The area between the building and street shall be used for pedestrian amenities, walkways and landscaping.

For new buildings on corner lots, the setback relationship of both streets shall be maintained where possible to avoid the creation of "empty corners."

Off-site pedestrian connections. The applicant shall provide for convenient and safe pedestrian and bicycle access to and within the development. The requirement for off-site sidewalk extension, if necessary, shall be modified by the Planning Board or Site Plan Review Committee, provided the following conditions are met:

For projects under site plan review, the costs for off-site sidewalks exceeds a cost of $1,000 per 2,000 square feet of gross commercial floor area; or for projects proceeding under subdivision review, the cost for off-site sidewalks exceeds a cost of $10,000 per lot. Subdivision lots that have been reviewed under this provision are not required to be reviewed again under site plan review.

In place of a full sidewalk extension, the applicant is required to extend the nearest sidewalk the following lengths towards the proposed development:

For roads with existing closed drainage systems and curbing the applicant shall extend the sidewalk 200 feet for each 5,000 square feet of gross floor area under site plan review or 400 feet for each lot.

For roads without existing closed drainage systems and curbing the applicant shall extend the sidewalk 100 feet and close in the drainage system for each 5,000 square feet of gross floor area under site plan review or 250 feet for each lot.

(c)

For existing public roads with sidewalks in poor condition as determined by the Public Works Director or designee, an applicant can request that half of the required extension be utilized to repair the existing sidewalk network on a foot-by-foot exchange.

Street facades. All buildings shall be designed so that the front wall of the building and any wall facing any public street that is not a front wall have the visual appearance of a front facade. Windows or architectural treatments designed to simulate windows shall comprise no less than 20% of the exterior wall surface. The facade shall be designed to avoid large areas of blank wall space.

Signs. All signs must conform with the standards of Part 2, § 300-2.20, standards for signs in a village environment [see Subsection B(1)].

Block standards.

Land must be divided with streets to create blocks conforming with Subsection I(4), Block perimeter, below.

Blocks shall be generally rectangular in shape, but are expected to respond to natural features and the block pattern of the surrounding street network.

Blocks shall be a minimum width so as to provide two rows of developable lots.

Block perimeter. No block shall have a perimeter of more than 1,600 feet. The Planning Board may grant a waiver to reduce block perimeter length in accordance with the provisions of Part 3, Subdivision, if part of a subdivision plan, or Part 4, Site Plan Review, if part of a site plan.

(5)

Portions of development sites abutting areas of undeveloped land, areas unsuitable for development, or preexisting incomplete blocks may be granted a waiver from the block size requirements in accordance with the provisions of Part 3, Subdivision, if part of a subdivision plan, or Part 4, Site Plan Review, if part of a site plan.

Public utilities.

All projects requiring site plan review and subdivisions shall connect to public sewer and water meeting the requirements of the Portland Water District and the Town of Gorham.

The Planning Board may grant a waiver for the requirements of the extension of public sewer if the lot is located more than 1,000 feet from the nearest connection to a public sanitary sewer and the connection to the public sanitary sewer would cause an undue hardship to the developer, as determined by the Planning Board.

The Planning Board may grant a waiver for the requirements of the extension of public water if the lot is located more than 1,000 feet from the nearest connection to the public water supply and the proposal meets the determination of unreasonable costs under Part 2, § 300-2.48, Provision of Public Water Supply, Subsection E, Exemption from public water supply requirements.

All developments are required to have underground utilities.

Building and other structure materials.

The predominant exterior building materials shall be of high-quality materials, including, but not limited to, wood or vinyl clapboard siding, masonry units that replicate shake or clapboard siding, brick, sandstone, wood, native stone and tinted/textured concrete masonry units and/or glass products or metal or plastic roofing that simulates shake or shingle roofing. Simulated material may be substituted for any of the aforementioned building materials.

At least three different building materials shall be used for the primary facade of a building facing the primary street the building accesses. The Planning Board may waive the building material to two different materials if it finds the building design has enough architectural detail to sufficiently break up the massing of the building. Glass for use in windows and doors shall not be considered one of the required building materials. All facades that have frontage on a street shall be considered a primary facade.

Exterior building materials shall not include smooth-faced concrete block, tilt-up concrete panels or T-111. Prefabricated steel panels are excluded unless they contain architectural details with intricate designs. Metal roofs may be allowed if compatible with the overall architectural design of the building.

Building entrances.

Building(s) shall be located on the property with the principal building entrance oriented toward the primary focal point of the property/development.

Building entrance(s) shall be clearly defined and highly visible by using features such as canopies, porticos, overhangs, recesses/projection, and raised corniced parapets over the door, arcades, arches or wing walls. Integral planters are highly encouraged.

Roof design. Roofs shall be designed to reduce the apparent exterior mass of a building, add visual interest and be appropriate to the architectural style of the building. The following design elements are highly encouraged: variations within one architectural style; visible roof lines and roofs that project over the exterior wall of a building enough to cast a shadow on the ground; and overhanging eaves, sloped roofs and multiple roof elements. Architectural methods shall be used to conceal flat roof tops. All roof-top mechanical equipment shall be screened so that it is not visible from grade at the closest public street.

Building and other structure colors. Exterior colors shall be of low-reflectance, subtle, neutral or muted earthtone colors. The use of high-intensity colors such as black, neon, metallic or fluorescent colors for the facade and/or roof of the building are prohibited except as approved for building trim.

Mechanical equipment and service areas. The location of loading docks and service areas shall be to the sides and/or rear of a building.

Screening.

The architectural design of the buildings shall incorporate features which screen, contain and conceal all heating, ventilation, air conditioning units, trash enclosures, dumpsters, loading docks and service yards. Landscaping, fencing, berms and similar features may be used to accomplish this goal.

Fencing, screening, landscaped berms, natural features, or combination thereof, shall be utilized to shield from the view of abutting residential properties and the closest public way all loading and unloading operations, storage and repair work areas, commercial vehicle parking, and waste disposal and collection areas. Screens at least as high as the equipment they hide shall be of a color and material matching or compatible with the dominant colors and materials found on the facades of the principal building. Chain link or cyclone fencing (with or without slats) shall not be used to satisfy this requirement.

Lighting. Exterior lighting shall be designed to provide only the minimum lighting necessary to ensure adequate vision, safety and comfort in parking areas and to not cause glare beyond the limits of the property boundaries. Lighting shall also conform to the following standards:

At a minimum, light fixtures shall have a total cutoff of light at no more than 90° and a beam cutoff of no more than 75°.

The illumination of parking lots shall provide a relatively even distribution of light over the entire parking lot area.

The maximum illumination level within parking lots shall be not more than 6.0 footcandles measured at the ground surface.