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Committee considers trimming Route 95 buffer and narrowing loading requirements to commercial uses
Summary
As part of a broader zoning package, Fritz recommended removing a blanket ban on multifamily housing within 800 feet of Route 95 and narrowing an overbroad off-street loading requirement so it applies mainly to larger commercial uses.
Paul Fritz said the package also removes two rules he called overly broad: a prohibition on multifamily development within 800 feet of Route 95 and a zoning clause that effectively requires off-street loading space for nearly any new development. "800 feet is pretty long," Fritz said of the highway buffer, noting it can reach two or three blocks and preclude reasonable multifamily sites. He recommended removing the blanket restriction and relying on site-plan review protections such as setbacks and buffering.
On loading, Fritz said the ordinance reads so literally that it can require a truck loading area "no matter what the use," which can be prohibitive for housing projects; he proposed restricting loading requirements to larger commercial uses and adding discretion for when a loading area is actually needed.
