SECTION 25 - TOWNWIDE AND DISTRICT STANDARDS

25.1     Schedule B: “Schedule B — Standards” is hereby declared to be a part of these Regulations.

25.2     Lot Area, Shape and Frontage: Each lot shall have at least the minimum area as specified in Schedule B. Each lot to be used for a dwelling containing two (2) or more dwelling units shall have at least the minimum area per dwelling unit specified in Schedule B. Each lot shall be of such shape that a square with the minimum dimensions specified in Schedule B will fit on the lot, and in Residence Districts some portion of such square shall lie within less than the required building setback distance from a street line. Each lot shall have the minimum frontage on a street specified in Schedule B.

25.2.1  Interior Lots: An interior lot may be permitted, subject to approval by the Planning and Zoning Commission. When such lot is not part of a subdivision, a record map shall be submitted in two blue or black line prints for approval by the Commission, prior to filing in the Land Records, which map shall be clearly and legibly drawn at a scale of l”40’ and shall show the following:

     a.                   Name and address of owner.

     b.                  Address of property, including town and state.

     c.                   Date, scale, north arrow, zoning district, Assessor’s map and lot number.

     d.                  Existing and proposed property and street lines and adjoining property lines.

     e.                   Setback lines, right-of-way width, easements, any existing monuments and Town boundary lines.

     f.                    Existing structures, stone walls, fences and contours.

     g.                   Approximate boundaries of all wetlands and water courses.

     h.                   Location and date of at least one deep test pit and percolation test hole, if the lot is not sewered.

     i.                     Location map at approximately l” = l000’ showing adjoining roads.

All of the following requirements shall be met:

1.                  The lot shall be located in an R-3, R-4 or R-5 Zone and shall be used only for a single family dwelling.

2.                  Each interior lot shall have a fee strip 25 feet in width as part of the lot. Such fee strip shall extend to an accepted public street.

3.                  The paved width of each accessway shall be at least 10 feet and the maximum grade shall not exceed 8% within 35 feet of a public street. The accessway shall conform to all driveway requirements as described in Section 25.10 of the Branford Zoning Regulations.

4.                  The number of adjoining interior lot fee strips shall not exceed two. The minimum distance between non-adjoining access strips as measured in a straight line from their closest points is:

 90 feet in an R-3 zone.

110 feet in an R-4 zone.

130 feet in an R-5 zone.

5.                  No fee strip shall exceed the following length:

210 feet in an R-3 zone.

230 feet in an R-4 zone.

390 feet in an R-5 zone.

6.                  The minimum size of an interior lot shall be equal to one and one half times the minimum required in the zone in which it is located. The fee strip shall not be included in calculating the lot area.

7.                  No building or other structure on an interior lot shall be located closer to a property line than:

30 feet in an R-3 zone,

50 feet in an R-4 or R-5 zone.

8.                  In all other respects, each lot shall conform to the requirements of the zone in which it is located.

25.3     Height: No building or other structure shall exceed the number of stories and/or maximum height, whichever is less, as specified in Schedule B. This limitation, however, shall not apply to the following when not for human occupancy: spires, ornamental cupolas, towers, chimneys, flagpoles and silos as well as such features, as tanks and elevators, heating, ventilating, airconditioning and similar equipment that are located on the roof of a building and do not occupy more than 25% of the area of the roof. The maximum height of Communications Towers shall not exceed 150 feet.

25.4     Setbacks: No building or other structure shall extend within less than the minimum distances of any street line, rear property line, other property line or Residence District boundary line as specified in Schedule B, subject to the following exceptions and additional limitations:

25.4.1  Signs: Certain permitted signs, as specified in Section 43, may extend within lesser distances of a property or street line.

25.4.2  Lake Saltonstall: No building or other structure shall extend within 100 feet of the waterline of Lake Saltonstall that exists when the water surface of the Lake is at elevation 24.0 feet based on mean sea level, except that this limitation shall not apply to private garages, boat houses and boat launching and docking facilities.

25.4.3  Boats and Boat-Trailers: Boats and boat-trailers exceeding 14 feet in length shall meet the setback requirements for buildings and other structures as specified in Schedule B.

25.4.4  Projections: Pilasters, belt courses, sills, cornices, marquees, canopies, eaves and similar architectural features and fire escapes may project two (2) feet into the area required for setback from a property or street line.

25.4.5  Additional Setbacks: In Residence Districts any portion of a building or other structure exceeding 30 feet in height shall be set back from any property or street line by two (2) additional feet for each foot or fraction thereof by which such portion exceeds 30 feet in height.

25.4.6  Narrow Streets: The required setback from a street line of a street having a width of less than 50 feet shall be increased by one half of the difference between 50 feet and the actual width of the street.

25.4.7  Railroads - Bulkheads and Pierheads: In Business, Commerce Park and Industrial Districts, no setback is required from a railroad right-of-way or an established waterfront bulkhead or pier-head line.

25.4.8  Guard Houses: In Commerce Park and Industrial Districts, a building not exceeding 150 square feet in floor area and a height of 15 feet and used solely as a guard house, gate house or security building may extend to within 10 feet of any street line.

25.4.9  Center Business BC District: On any lot in the Center Business BC District no setback is required from a property line, provided that access to a public street by means of an alley or other right-of-way not less than 10 feet in width is provided to any portion of the lot where buildings and other structures are set back from a property line.  Any building or other structure that is set back from a property line other than a street line shall not extend within less than 10 feet of such property line, except that the owners of adjoining lots may by mutual agreement, recorded in the land records of the Town of Branford, agree to reduce such setback from a common property line so as to provide a total distance of not less than 10 feet between buildings or other structures on such adjoining lots.

 25.4.10  Local Business BL District: The owners of adjoining lots in any Local Business BL District may by mutual agreement, recorded in the land records of the Town of Branford, agree to eliminate the required setback from a common property line or reduce the required setback from a common property line by up to five (5) feet on each side of such line. Such reduction or elimination of the setback is permitted provided that access to a street by means of an alley or other right-of-way not less than 10 feet in width is provided to any portion of the lot where buildings and other structures are set back from a property line.

25.4.11 Fences, Walls and Terraces: The required setback distances shall not apply to fences or walls six (6) feet or less in height or to unroofed terraces, but no fence, wall or terrace shall be located within the right-of-way of any street. Setback requirements for retaining walls are set forth in Section 44.

25.4.12 Critical Coastal Resources: Coastal waters, estuarine embayments, rocky shorefronts, inter-tidal flats, islands, tidal wetlands, coastal bluffs and escarpments, beaches and dunes are identified as critical coastal resources. In the designated Coastal Management District, no parking area, building or other structure shall extend within less than 25 feet of any critical coastal resource except for walkways, drainage facilities and other utilities, raised boardwalks, piers, docks, and similar facilities.  Any activity requiring zoning approval located within 100 feet of a critical coastal resource is subject to Coastal Site Plan Review in accordance with Section 45 of these Regulations.

25.4.13  Setback from Route 1: For the purpose of providing for future widening of Route 1, the “street line setback” shall be measured from the centerline of Route 1. The required setback distance shall be 80 feet from the centerline, or the minimum setback for the district, whichever is greater. The “centerline” is defined as a line equidistant from the face of curb or edge of pavement on each side of the road.

25.5     Coverage and Bulk: The aggregate lot coverage of all buildings and other structures on any lot shall not exceed the percentage of the lot area as specified in Schedule B, and the total floor area of all buildings and other structures on any lot, excluding basements, shall not exceed the percentage of the lot area as specified in Schedule B, which coverage and floor area provisions are subject to the following exceptions and additional limitations:

25.5.1  Center Business BC Districts: In Center Business BC Districts the limitation on total floor area shall not apply to floor area in or on a building or structure used for off-street parking or loading spaces.

25.6     Minimum Floor Area - Dwelling and Dwelling Units: Each dwelling shall have a minimum floor area as specified in Schedule B. Each dwelling containing two (2) or more dwelling units shall also have a minimum floor area for each dwelling as specified in Schedule B.

25.7     Outside Storage: Outside storage, which is hereby defined to be the outside storage or display of merchandise, supplies, machinery and other materials and/or the outside manufacture, processing or assembling of goods, but excluding areas for parking of registered motor vehicles in daily use, shall be limited as follows:

25.7.1  Restricted Business BR Districts: There shall be no outside storage areas in Restricted Business BR Districts.

25.7.2  Other Business Districts: In Center Business BC and Local Business BL Districts, outside storage areas shall not extend into the area required for setback from a street line or Residence District boundary line.

25.7.3  Commerce Park Districts: In Commerce Park Districts, outside storage areas shall not extend into the area required for setback from a property line, street line or Residence District boundary line, shall not exceed 15% of the lot area and shall be enclosed (except for necessary access drives) by buildings and/or by fences, walls, embankments or evergreen shrubs or trees so as to screen the storage area from view from any other lot or from any street.

25.7.4  Industrial Districts #1 and #2: In Industrial Districts #1 and #2, outside storage areas shall not extend into the area required for setback from a property line, street line or Residence District boundary line, and the aggregate lot coverage of all buildings, other structures and outside storage areas shall not exceed 60% of the area of the lot.

25.7.5  Flood Prone Areas: No outside storage shall be located in a flood prone area.

25.7.6  Critical Coastal Resources: No outside storage shall be located within 25 feet of any critical coastal resource, which shall include tidal wetlands, coastal bluffs and escarpments and beaches and dunes.

25.8     Site Development and Landscaping: On any lot that is to be used in Business, Commerce Park and Industrial Districts, site development shall be established as follows:

25.8.1  Off-Street Parking and Loading: All off-street parking and loading spaces shall conform to the standards of Section 42.

25.8.2  Business Districts: The area required for setback from a street right-of-way line shall be suitably landscaped with trees and/or shrubs, lawns, washed gravel or ornamental brick or stone pavement except for sidewalks and permitted driveways and off-street parking. No more than 50% of the area required for setback from a street line shall be used for driveways and/or parking spaces, and no parking space shall be set back from the streetline less than 15 feet in a BL zone. In a BR zone, no portion of the streetline setback shall be used for parking. No part of the area required for setback from a Residence District boundary line shall be used for off—street parking or loading. A strip of land not less than 12 feet in width, along and adjacent to any Residence District boundary shall be suitably landscaped with lawns and with trees and/or shrubs. All portions of the lot not covered by buildings and other structures, driveways and off-street parking and loading spaces shall be suitably landscaped with trees and/or shrubs and with lawns or shall be left as undisturbed natural terrain.

25.8.3  Industrial Districts: In Industrial Districts no part of the area required for setback from a Residence District boundary line shall be used for off—street parking or loading spaces or driveways in connection therewith. No part of the area required for setback from a street line shall be used for off—street loading spaces and no more than 50% of such area shall be used for driveways and/or off-street parking, and no parking space shall be set back from the streetline less than 15 feet in a CP and IG-l zone nor less than 25 feet in an IG—2 zone. The area required for setback from a street line shall be suitably landscaped with lawns, trees and/or shrubs, washed gravel or ornamental brick or stone pavement except for sidewalks and permitted driveways and off­street parking spaces. Along and adjacent to any Residence District Boundary line a strip of land not less than 50 feet in width in any Industrial District shall be left in its natural state if already wooded or shall be landscaped with lawns and trees and/or shrubs. In Commerce Park Districts, all portions of the lot not covered by buildings and other structures, driveways and off-street parking and loading spaces shall be suitably landscaped with trees and/or shrubs and with lawns or shall be left as undisturbed natural terrain.

25.9     Courts and Windows: In addition to the setback requirements specified in Paragraph 25.4, the windows of rooms used for human occupancy in a dwelling containing three (3) or more dwelling units shall open onto yards, setback areas, courts or other open spaces. The least horizontal dimension of any court between opposing walls shall be not less than twice the average height of such opposing walls. In the case of a court formed by walls on three sides and open on the fourth side, the distance between the open end and the opposite wall shall not exceed the distance between the other two walls unless such latter distance is greater than 50 feet. On any lot, no window in one dwelling unit shall face the window of another dwelling unit at a distance less than 25 feet. On any lot, no dwelling shall be nearer to another dwelling than the average height of such dwellings.

25.10   Driveways: Driveways to individual and interior lots shall be so located, designed and constructed as to permit safe and convenient access and to minimize erosion and excessive drainage onto roadways. The following standards shall apply:

a.       Driveways shall be constructed to provide year-round access for emergency and service vehicles and shall have all weather passable surface not less than ten (10) feet in width when serving one lot and not less than fifteen (15) feet when serving more than one lot. Driveways shall not exceed thirty (30) feet in width at the street line unless a greater width is required by Town Ordinances or by the State of Connecticut.

b.      The slope of a driveway shall not exceed eight percent (8%) within thirty—five (35) feet of its intersection with a Town road, and under no circumstances shall the grade at any point exceed fifteen percent (15%).

c.       No more than two (2) driveways shall enter any lot from any one street except that there may be one (1) additional driveway for each three hundred (300) feet of lot frontage or fraction thereof in excess of three hundred (300) feet.

d.      Whenever practical, a driveway shall intersect a street at ninety degrees (90). In no case shall a driveway intersect a street at an angle of less than sixty degrees (60).

e.       The sight distance shall equal or exceed a distance of two hundred and fifty (250) feet measured from a point ten (10) feet back from the edge of pavement at a height of 3.5 feet. The Commission may require a greater sight distance as warranted by the traffic volume and average speed along the intersected street.

f.        No driveway shall intersect a roadway less than twenty-five (25) feet from the intersection of two or more Town roads.

g.       Construction of all necessary drainage facilities shall be completed prior to issuance of a Certificate of Zoning Compliance.

h.       No driveway shall be relocated without prior approval by the Zoning Enforcement Officer or Town Planner.

i.         Each driveway shall be connected to the street by a paved apron extending at least ten (10) feet back from the edge of pavement of such street.

25.11   Accessory Uses and Structures in Residence Districts: All accessory uses and structures in residence districts are subject to the following standards and conditions:

a.       The accessory use shall be located on the same lot with the permitted use to which it is accessory.

b.      Accessory structures shall be located in the rear yard.  Accessoy structures having a coverage of 150 square feet or less may be located no closer than five (5) feet from the rear and side property lines.

c.       Accessory uses may include off-street parking spaces and private garages and boat houses.

d.      Except in connection with a permitted farm, truck garden or commercial nursery, there shall be no more than one commercial vehicle parked or stored on any lot, and such vehicle shall not exceed 1 1/2 tons capacity and shall be parked or stored only in an enclosed garage.

e.       No part of a lot located in a Residence District shall be used for access to a use not permitted in such District.

f.        No accessory structure shall be used for human habitation or for conduct of a business, whether for profit or otherwise.

g.       No accessory structure shall exceed 15 feet in height.

h.       No accessory structure with a ground floor area in excess of 750 sq. ft. will be allowed except by Special Permit in accordance with Section 32.