The purposes of the land use districts are as
follows:
A. Resource Protection District. To control the use of
shoreland and other areas to provide maximum protection to the land
and water resources. Such areas include but are not limited to wetlands,
swamps, marshes, bogs, poorly drained soils, one-hundred-year floodplains
and significant wildlife habitats.
B. Shoreland Slope District.
(1) To provide maximum protection to the land and water
resources with controls of use and development of undeveloped shoreland
areas.
(2) To minimize expenditures of public monies for flood-control
projects.
(3) To minimize rescue and relief efforts undertaken at
the expense of the general public.
(4) To minimize flood damage to public facilities, such
as water mains, sewer lines, streets, roads and bridges.
(5) To protect the storage capacity of floodplains and
assure retention of sufficient floodway area to convey flood flows
which reasonably can be expected to occur.
(6) To encourage open space uses, such as agriculture
and recreation.
C. Rural Overlay District - RO.
(1) To allow low-density residential housing while retaining
the rural residential character of the Town in accordance with the
goals and ideals of the Comprehensive Plan, by requiring the preservation
of natural buffers strips along existing and proposed roads.
D. Agamenticus Resource District - R5.
(1) To protect the "Mt. Agamenticus area" in accordance
with the goals and principles of the Comprehensive Plan.
(2) To allow for low-density housing, while creating a
contiguous area of important natural resource systems, scenic beauty
and recreational opportunity.
(3) To minimize those uses which could prove detrimental
to the environment of the Mt. Agamenticus area.
E. Rural Residential District - R4.
(1) To retain the rural residential character of an area
of the Town by encouraging low-density uses and the maximum number
of uses, consistent with controlling nuisances and unsafe and unhealthy
conditions.
(2) To provide an area where agricultural and conservation
uses are encouraged.
F. Transitional Residential District - R3.
(1) To provide for distributed medium-density residential
development in an area where land and transportation facilities are
available.
(2) To direct growth where it can be planned for the most
reasonable use of community services.
G. Developing Residential District - R2.
(1) To provide areas of suburban and medium-density development
in locations relatively close to the village service area, compatible
with existing development.
(2) To direct growth into areas where extension of community
services is likely to become economically feasible.
H. Suburban Growth District - R2A. To provide an additional
area for future suburban growth contingent upon the provision of water
and sewer services.
I. Village Residential District - R1. To provide areas
of medium to high-density residential development in locations compatible
with existing development and in a manner appropriate to the economical
provision of community services and utilities.
J. Village Residential Growth District - R1A. To provide
an additional area for future village growth contingent upon the provision
of water and sewer services.
K. Business and Service District - B2.
(1) To protect residences, residential character and residential
amenities.
(2) To provide locations for business and service establishments
and mixed-use properties consistent with the needs of a growing Town
for expanded personal and professional services.
(3) To encourage the location of service uses along existing
service corridors in a zone where lot sizes permit sufficient parking
and amenities necessary for those uses.
(4) To provide a limited area for the establishment of
light industries which do not intrude on abutting properties.
L. Central Commercial - B1.
(1) To encourage the location of commercial uses on those
lands within the community which are best suited for such development.
(2) To protect the present commercial development from
the blight, congestion and inconvenience caused by inappropriate and
poorly located development of commercial facilities.
(3) To avoid the economic disadvantage of providing essential
services to commercial facilities which would occur if commercial
facilities developed in a strip fashion along highways and major thoroughfares.
(4) To provide areas in which the location of public facilities
can serve the greatest number of people as economically as possible.
(5) To provide areas for high-density residential development
in locations compatible with existing development and in a manner
appropriate to the economical provision of community services and
utilities.
M. Business
Residential District – BR.
[Added 5-11-2009]
(1) To
maintain the streetscape of a gateway of the Town while allowing for
professional and small business development.
(2) To
provide an area with high visibility for mixed-use, including residential
and low-impact business enterprises.
(3) To
preserve the existing residential streetscape while encouraging limited
business uses in presently established buildings, and the residential,
architectural and historical character of the area.
N. Industrial Districts - I1 and I2.
[Amended 5-11-2009]
(1) To promote the location of light industry or high-value
business where services and transportation facilities presently exist
or can reasonably be provided, in areas which are best suited for
such development.
(2) To prevent inappropriate juxtaposition of industrial
uses and residential uses.
(3) To provide effective sighting and controls on those
uses which, by virtue of their size or external effect (noise, waste
discharge, glare, fumes, dust, smoke, traffic generation and parking
areas, etc.), could otherwise create nuisances or unsafe or unhealthy
conditions.
Permitted uses and those uses requiring site
plan review in all districts shall conform to all applicable specifications
and requirements. A plumbing permit, building permit, occupancy permit
and/or a special use permit shall be required for all buildings, uses
and sanitary facilities according to the provisions of this chapter.
Land uses permitted in each district, in conformance with the performance standards of Articles
V and VA, are listed in Table A which will be considered an integral part of this chapter.
Any use which is not listed as a permitted use
or a use requiring site plan review is prohibited.
Lots in all districts must meet or exceed the
minimum requirements outlined in Table B, which will be considered
an integral part of this chapter. (Additional area may be required by other provisions of
this chapter.)