The document proposes language for an infill special permit in Northampton that would allow carefully planned infill development consistent with the city's comprehensive plan. It would apply in certain zoning districts and allow modifications to dimensional standards and an increase in density to permit additional units on lots through new construction or conversion of existing structures. It establishes design standards for infill development to maintain neighborhood character.

1. Proposed language for infill special permit in Northampton Zoning
(revised draft, June 6, 2010redlined 12-10)
Section 350-10.16 Infill Special Permit Interim Zoning
A. Purpose
The purpose of this Section is to provide a means to allow carefully planned infill
development, consistent with the City’s Sustainable Northampton Comprehensive Plan,
CONCEPT DRAFT
to be built within existing developed areas of Northampton closest to Downtown and
Florence and Leeds Centers. This Section is adopted as an interim zoning provision
while dimensional and use regulations for the City are being reviewed and
comprehensively revised. This Section is intended to provide a means for expeditious
implementation of infill development on a case-by-case basis, consistent with existing
neighborhood character and the design standards in this section.
B. Applicability
1. The provisions of this section shall apply in the URA, URB, and URC zoning
districts.
2. This Section 350-10.16 shall remain in effect for two years from the date of its
adoption, unless extended longer or terminated earlier by amendment of this
ordinance. Any special permit application filed under this section and found to be
a complete application by the Office of Planning and Development before the
expiration of the effective period of this Section shall be allowed to continue
through the approval process, notwithstanding the termination of this provision.
Any special permit duly granted under this section shall run with the land and
have permanent effect once exercised in accordance with the zoning and MGL 40
A.
C. Types of Infill Development Permitted
The Planning Board may grant a special permit allowing for the modification of
otherwise applicable dimensional regulations, consistent with the purposes of this
Section, the Sustainable Northampton Plan, and the standards in Subsection E below to
permit the following:
1. Reduction in applicable minimum frontage, setbacks, lot depth, and lot area
requirements, unit configuration.
2. Additional dwelling units, detached cottage units, or accessory dwelling units on a
lot, through new construction and/or conversion of existing structures.

2. 3. Reduction in the open space requirement to 40% within the URA district and 30%
within the URB district, regardless of the use of the lot.
4. Increase in maximum height of no more than one story or 10 feet.
D. Parking.
This section may not be used to reduce the minimum off-street parking requirements.
E. Design Standards and Approval Criteria
CONCEPT DRAFT
1. A special permit granted under this section shall comply with all of the special permit
standards contained in Section 350-10.1. (Modify to address vague standards in 10.1-
like “protection of views, light, air”)
2. In order to receive a special permit, an applicant shall submit and the Planning Board
shall approve a site plan at a sufficient level of detail to allow the Planning Board to
determine whether or not the proposal complies with these design standards.
3. Infill development shall maintain the prevailing pattern of front setbacks that exist on
the block on which such development occurs, except that no new attached or detached
garage may be built unless it is at least 20 feet behind the front façade of the principal
building.
4. Infill development shall be designed to maintain the privacy of adjoining properties
by screening new and enlarged structures with existing or new vegetative screening
and/or with wooden fencing. No healthy trees with a diameter at breast height (dbh)
of 16 inches or more shall be removed within 12 feet of a side or rear property line.
Light emitted by external light fixtures or by vehicle headlights in off-street parking
areas shall not shine into adjoining properties.
5. Infill development shall be designed to be architecturally compatible with the
neighborhood in which it is located in terms of scale, massing, building orientation,
garage location (if any), and architectural character and detail. Principal buildings
shall align along a street to create a sense of enclosure of the street in a manner
similar to that found on the same block faceand adjoining blocks. The Planning
Board may adopt design guidelines to serve as criteria in administering this section.
Neighborhood associations are encouraged to recommend neighborhood-specific
design guidelines to be considered for adoption by the Planning Board for individual
neighborhoods or blocks.
6. The Planning Board may consider historic uses of a property. If a proposed infill
development would reinstate a condition that historically existed on the property, this
shall be considered favorably in the Planning Board’s deliberations.
2

3. 7. This section may not be used to increase the number of dwelling units on a lot by
more than five.
F. Procedure.
1. Before filing an application for an infill special permit, the applicant shall notify and
make a good faith effort to meet with owners of adjoining properties to discuss plans
for the proposed infill development.
2. The Office of Planning and Development shall provide a list of supporting materials
required for submission of an infill special permit application to assist an applicant in
CONCEPT DRAFT
preparing an application.
3. The special permit, filing, fee, hearing etc process for infill development shall
otherwise be the same as required for any other special permit, except that site plan
approval shall be integrated with the special permit.
4. The Planning Board shall attach appropriate conditions to any approval relating to
architectural and landscape design, lighting, parking location, and improvements to
the facades of existing buildings, to ensure that the infill development will enhance
the character of the neighborhood.
5. The City Council shall, by resolution, set an appropriate application fee or fee scale
for infill special permit applications.
3