(a) Intent and Purpose: The purpose of this section is to promote and encourage the orderly reuse and redevelopment of land and structures already owned and used for municipal purposes by the City of Watertown for one or more other municipal uses, consistent with the evolving needs of the City, by establishing regulations which will allow for greater flexibility in planning and design consistent with both fiscal responsibility and sound planning and site design principles, and which will maximize compatibility with the neighborhood in which the land is located.
(b) Applicability: The provisions of this Section shall apply in all zoning districts to the proposed reuse and redevelopment of municipally-owned land and structures and to the change from one municipal use to another municipal use.
(c) Applicable Regulations: Notwithstanding any provisions of this Ordinance to the contrary, the reuse and redevelopment of municipally-owned and used land and structures for other municipal uses shall be permitted by right in all zoning districts of the City of Watertown, subject only to the following procedures and requirements.
(d) The Planning Board may in certain circumstances vary dimensional criteria, including parking where warranted due to the proximity and use of structures on abutting properties and may also require greater landscape screening and buffering to be installed within some or all of the required set back areas.
(1) Dimensional Criteria:
(a) Existing Buildings: Alterations shall be subject to paragraph (h), below.
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For New Construction including Additions:
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(b) Maximum Floor Area Ratio: No municipal reuse and redevelopment project shall exceed a Floor Area Ratio of 1.5;
(c) Maximum Height: No new structure built or reconstructed as a part of a municipal reuse and redevelopment project shall be more than 48 feet or four stories in height, whichever is less;
(d) Lot Coverage: Lot coverage in a municipal reuse and redevelopment project shall not exceed a total of 65%, excluding parking areas and parking garages, recreation facilities such as parks and tennis courts, and internal roadways or walkways;
(e) Setbacks:
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Front: 15 feet Minimum
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Side: 25 feet Minimum
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Rear: 50 feet Minimum
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(f) Minimum Lot Size: None.
(g) Minimum Frontage: Fifty feet.
(h) Minimum Open Space: All municipal reuse and redevelopment projects shall have at least 15% of the total site area devoted to Open Space; required setbacks shall be considered as part of the total area required for Open Space. The required Open Space shall not be used for parking, loading or roadway purposes and shall be open and unobstructed to the sky; items such as benches, walkways, planters, landscaping, swimming pools, kiosks, gazebos, and similar structures shall not be considered as obstructions.
(2) Parking Requirements: Parking for Municipal Reuse and Redevelopment Projects shall conform to the parking requirements for each individual use set forth in
§ 6.01: Required off-street parking spaces of this Zoning Ordinance.
(3) Signs: A plan for signage shall be submitted to the DCDP staff and Planning Board for approval. The Planning Board, with the recommendation of the DCDP staff shall grant approval of the plan for signs only after it is satisfied that said signage will not derogate from the quality of surrounding residential environment. For guidance, the Planning Board shall use
§ 7.04: Signs in S-10, S-6, SC, CR, T and OSC Districts of this Zoning Ordinance and may, if found necessary permit additional signage above that which is allowed in
§ 7.04: Signs in S-10, S-6, SC, CR, T and OSC Districts.
(4) Accessory Structure(s): Accessory structure(s) shall be permitted and subject to review by the Planning Board.
(5) Procedures: Consistent with the procedural requirements provided in
§ 155-9.03(a) and
§ 155-9.03(b) of this Zoning Ordinance, the Planning Board together with the Administrative Site Plan Review Committee shall hold a public hearing to determine and discuss questions and impacts, potential problems with the development or redevelopment within a Municipal Reuse and Development District. The Planning Board shall prepare a written report on the proposal considering, among other things, the ten criteria listed in
§ 155-9.03(c) and if it finds that the conditions for approval set forth in
§ 155-9.05(b) of this Zoning Ordinance have been met.
