Proposed Amendments to Medway Zoning Bylaw and Map

The Planning and Economic Development Board has submitted a series of proposed amendments to the Medway Zoning Bylaw and Map to the Board of Selectmen for inclusion on the warrant for the May 10, 2021 Town Meeting.

Public Hearing – The Board will conduct a public hearing on Tuesday, March 9, 2021 at 7:30 p.m.  The hearing will be conducted via ZOOM, the online meeting platform.  Residents and property owners are invited to attend the public hearing and provide comments.  Instructions for accessing the hearing via ZOOM will be included on the agenda for that meeting, to be posted by March 5th.

The proposed amendments to the Medway Zoning Bylaw and Map are summarized below: The specific article identifiers will be revised as the Board of Selectmen finalizes the warrant and assigns warrant article numbers.    

ARTICLE A – Central Business District: Click HERE to review the complete text of the proposed article.

Revise Table 1, Schedule of Uses in Section 5.4

Delete Section 5.4.1 Special Permits in the Central Business District

Amend Section 6.1 Schedule of Dimensional and Density Regulations and Table 2

Add a new Section 10: Central Business District Development Standards 

 

ARTICLE B – Environmental Standards, Section 7.3: Click HERE to review the complete text of the proposed article.

Replace Section 7.3 Environmental Standards, which governs noise, odor, vibration, dust, and other environmental concerns, in its entirety to include definitions, updated standards, procedures for investigation of complaints, and certain exemptions for farming, residential uses, repairs, and public works

 

ARTICLE C - Site Plan Review, Section 3.5: Click HERE to review the complete text of the proposed article.

Modify which activities are subject to administrative site plan review

Add a new Section 3.5.3.A. 4 Façade Improvements Review   

 

ARTICLE D – Solar Electric Installations; new Section 8.11: Click HERE to review the complete text of the proposed article.

Add a new section with regulations for various types of solar electric installations

 

ARTICLE E – Flood Plain District, Section 5.6.1: Click HERE to review the complete text of the proposed article.

Amend Section 5.6.1 in its entirety in order to comply with recent changes in regulatory requirements

 

ARTICLE F – Re-Zoning to Energy Resource District: Click HERE to review the complete text of the proposed article.

Amend the Zoning Map to rezone certain parcels from the AR-II zoning district to the Energy Resource zoning district

 

ARTICLE G - Nonconforming Uses and Structures, Section 5.5: Click HERE to review the complete text of the proposed article.

Amend Section 5.5.C.1 to specify that lawfully existing nonconforming structures that are accessory to and on the same lot as nonconforming single-family and two-family structures are afforded the same protections.   

Make clarifying amendment to Section 5.5.C.3.b.

Specify that the special permit criteria in Section 3.4 do not apply to special permit applications under Section 5.5.E Nonconforming Structures Other Than One-Family and Two-Family Dwellings.

 

ARTICLE H – Cottage Cluster Development, new Section 8.12: Click HERE to review the complete text of the proposed article.

Add a new section to allow for cottage cluster developments by special permit from the Planning and Economic Development Board

 

ARTICLE I – Digital Advertising Signage for Electric Vehicle Charging Stations: Click HERE to review the complete text of the proposed article.

Add a definition in Section 7.2.6

Amend Table 1 Schedule of Uses in Section 5.4 and amend Section 7.2.6. B to allow electric vehicle charging stations with digital advertising signage in certain zoning districts by special permit of the Planning and Economic Development

Amend Section 3.5.3.A.2 to add electric vehicle charging stations with digital advertising to Minor Site Plan Review

 

ARTICLE J - Accessory Family Dwelling Units: Click HERE to review the complete text of the proposed article.

Add a new item 8 in Section 8.2.C with standards for accessory family dwelling units that are located in separate structures  

 

ARTICLE K - Residential Common Driveways, new Section 5.4.1: Click HERE to review the complete text of the proposed article.

Add regulations in Section 5.4.1 to allow residential common driveways by special permit from the Planning and Economic Development Board 

 

ARTICLE L – Housekeeping:  Click HERE to review the complete text of the proposed article.

Amend the definitions of “accessory family dwelling unit” and “dwelling”, and add a definition of “mixed use building” in Section 2 Definitions

Replace the term “parking lot” with the term “parking area” throughout the bylaw due to the previously approved definition of “parking lot”

Amend Section 3.4.H.1 in Special Permits to clarify that the Zoning Board of Appeals serves as the special permit granting authority for all special permit applications under Section 5.5 Nonconforming Uses and Structures.   

Clarify Section 6.2.F. 1 in Dimensional Regulations

 

Please contact the Planning and Economic Development office at 508-533-3291 or email sachilds@townofmedway.org. with any questions or comments.

Information loaded – February 22, 2021