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Commission debates Section 2 zoning changes: frontage, setbacks, roof slope notation
Summary
Members discussed proposed revisions to Section 2 of the zoning bylaws, including frontage measurements, a proposed 25-foot frontage recommendation, driveway clearance, and clarifying roof slope language; the Zoning Administrator said he would research driveway and frontage details.
Commissioners and staff spent a substantive portion of the Sept. 26 meeting on Section 2 of the zoning bylaws, raising questions about frontage requirements, front setbacks, driveways and roof-slope notation.
Pamela J. Spaulding questioned whether a previous change increased frontage from 35 to 40 feet on preexisting lots; Zoning Administrator William Goodwin said he would recommend changing the frontage requirement to 25 feet and would look into the interaction with driveway setback rules, which had been discussed as a 10-foot minimum from the property boundary.
Goodwin also explained a key measurement change: "The front setback increase in all districts is that the middle of the road is used as the measurement and not the edge of the road as it had been previously," which affects how setbacks will be calculated along town roads. Commissioners also raised a need to clarify a "5:12" roof-slope reference (Pamela Spaulding asked for a diagram or percentage explanation so nontechnical readers can understand the requirement).
Commissioners acknowledged that wastewater capacity and state law will influence what housing types the bylaws can allow; Will Goodwin and committee representatives said they would continue researching technical aspects and statutory constraints before the bylaws are finalized.
