Land Use Regulations and Zoning Ordinance
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TOWN OF WINDHAM ZONING ORDINANCES AND LAND USE REGULATIONS Adopted March 9, 1954 Amended March 13, 1990 Amended March 8, 1955 Amended March 10, 1992 Amended March 12, 1957 Amended March 9, 1993 Amended March 10, 1959 Amended March 8, 1994 Amended Sept. 18, 1959 Amended March 14, 1995 Amended March 9, 1960 Amended March 11, 1996 Amended March 14, 1962 Amended March 11, 1997 Amended March 13, 1963 Amended March 10, 1998 Amended March 10, 1964 Amended March 9, 1999 Adopted May 23, 1967 Amended March 14, 2000 Amended March 12, 1969 Amended March 13, 2001 Amended March 11, 1970 Amended March 12, 2002 Amended March 12, 1971 Amended March 11, 2003 Amended January 9, 1973 Amended March 9, 2004 Amended June 27, 1974 Amended March 8, 2005 Amended March 2, 1976 Amended March 14, 2006 Amended March 14, 1978 Amended March 13, 2007 Amended March 16, 1979 Amended March 11, 2008 Amended March 11, 1980 Amended October 15, 2008 Amended March 14, 1981 Amended March 10, 2009 Amended March 12, 1982 Amended March 9, 2010 Amended March 8, 1983 Amended March 8, 2011 Amended March 13, 1984 Amended March 13, 2012 Amended March 12, 1985 Amended March 12, 2013 Amended March 11, 1986 Amended March 11, 2014 Amended March 13, 1987 Amended March 10, 2015 Amended March 8, 1988 Amended March 8, 2016 Amended March 14, 1989 Amended March 18, 2017 TABLE OF CONTENTS Page SECTION 100. Purpose ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4 SECTION 200. Definitions ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4 SECTION 300. Districts 301. Establishment of Districts ---------------------------------------------------------------------------10 302. Location of Districts ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------11 303. Location of Boundaries ------------------------------------------------------------------------------11 SECTION 400. Continuance of Existing Uses -----------------------------------------------------------------------12 SECTION 500. New Construction and New Uses ------------------------------------------------------------------13 SECTION 600. Use Regulations 601. Wetland & Watershed Protection District ---------------------------------------------------------13 602. Rural District --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------18 603. Residence District A, B and C -----------------------------------------------------------------------22 604. Neighborhood Business District --------------------------------------------------------------------24 605. Business Commercial A -----------------------------------------------------------------------------24 606. Limited Industrial District ----------------------------------------------------------------------------28 607. Flood Plain District ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------31 608. Historic District-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------37 609. Aquifer Protection District ---------------------------------------------------------------------------41 610. Housing for Older Persons ---------------------------------------------------------------------------44 611. Open Space Residential Overlay District ----------------------------------------------------------50 612. Village Center District -------------------------------------------------------------------------------53 613. Public Utility Structure -------------------------------------------------------------------------------56 614. Professional, Business, & Technology District --------------------------------------------------57 615. Route 28 Access Management Overlay District -------------------------------------------------58 616. Cobbett’s Pond and Canobie Lake Watershed Protection Ordinance---------------------- 61 617. Business Commercial District B --------------------------------------------------------------------69 618. Gateway Commercial District -----------------------------------------------------------------------69 619. Workforce Housing Overlay District ---------------------------------------------------------------71 620. Market Square Overlay District------------------------------------------------------------------77 SECTION 700. Developments of Sites: Location of Buildings & Structures 701. Height Regulations ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------80 702. Area, Frontage, Yard, and Floor Area Requirements -------------------------------------------81 703. Accessory Buildings & Swimming Pools ---------------------------------------------------------82 704. Off-Street Parking & Loading Areas ---------------------------------------------------------------82 705. Open Space and Landscaping Requirements -----------------------------------------------------83 706. Sign Regulations ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------85 707. Excavation of Earth Material---------------------------------------------------------------------92 708. Junk Yards------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------92 2017 Windham, NH Zoning Ordinance 2 709. Unused Section-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------96 710. Fences ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------96 711. Roadside Farm Stands ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------97 712. Government Installations -----------------------------------------------------------------------------98 713. Dwellings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------98 714. Noise ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------98 715. Impact Fees ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------99 716. Vernal Pool Protection ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 103 717. Cemetery Setback Requirements ------------------------------------------------------------------ 105 718. Small Wind Energy Systems ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 105 719. Historic Building/Structure Demolition/Substantial Modification Delay Ordinance --- 109 720. Kennels ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 112 SECTION 800. Administration --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 115 SECTION 900. Board of Adjustment ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 115 SECTION 1000. Amendment ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 116 SECTION 1100. Validity ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 116 SECTION 1200. Structure Conversion ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 116 SECTION 1300. Violations --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 117 SECTION 1400. Separability ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 117 SECTION 1500. Enforcement ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 117 SECTION 1600. Effective Date ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 117 Appendix A-1 ----------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------- 118 On File with the Windham Town Clerk and the NH Office of Energy and Planning. 2017 Windham, NH Zoning Ordinance 3 SECTION 100. PURPOSE The purposes of this Zoning Ordinance are to lessen congestion in the streets, to secure safety from fires, panic and other dangers; to promote health and general welfare; to provide adequate light and air; to prevent the overcrowding of land; to avoid undue concentration of population; to facilitate the adequate provision of transportation, water, sewage, schools, parks, and proper use of natural resources in accord with other public requirements; to conserve the value of buildings and to encourage the most appropriate use of land in accord with Title LXIV, New Hampshire Revised Statutes Annotated, 1955, and any amendments thereto. SECTION 200. DEFINITIONS For the purpose of this Ordinance, certain terms and words are herein defined as follows: Words used in the present tense include the future; words in the singular number include the plural number, and words in the plural number include the singular number; the word "shall" is mandatory and not directory; the word "building" includes the word "structure," the word "lot" includes the word "plot," and the word "land" includes the words "marsh" and "water." Unless defined otherwise, for the purposes of this Ordinance, the definition of the Building Code of the Town of Windham governs. Abandoned/Abandonment: When the owner/operator of a non-conforming use (a) intends to abandon or relinquish the use, and (b) takes some overt act, or fails to act, in some way that implies that the owner neither claims nor retains any interest in that use. Whenever a non-conforming use has not been exercised for a period of twelve (12) consecutive months or for