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Article 39_Canton_ATM2022 Section 4.0 Dimensional Requirements.pdf pdf file

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Saved text from 4 source pages. Transcription and OCR may contain errors; verify figures and wording against the original. Retrieved 2026-10-15.

Source page 1

CANTON PLANNING BOARD
                                  REPORT AND MOTION
                            ANNUAL TOWN MEETING – MAY 9th, 2022

                              ARTICLE #39 AMEND ZONING BY-LAW
                                Section 4.0 Dimensional Requirements
                                  (Select Board for Planning Board)

Article 39. To see if the Town will vote to amend Section 4.0 “Dimensional Requirements,” of the Zoning By-
Laws by adding dimensional and height requirements for the Commercial Mixed-Use District (newly added),
Limited Industrial B (existing), and Limited Industrial C (existing) districts as follows, with bolded and
underlined text indicating changed language:

1. That the Town amend Zoning By-Laws Section 4.1.5, “Table of Dimensional Requirement – Nonresidential
Districts” by adding dimensional requirements for the Commercial Mixed-Use District (newly added), Limited
Industrial B (existing), and Limited Industrial C districts (existing), as follows. Front setbacks in the Limited
Industrial zone are proposed to change from 60’ to 30’, however front setbacks in the Limited Industrial B
zone will remain 60’.

4.1.5 Table of Dimensional Requirements – Nonresidential Districts

 REQUIRED                                          B      C-MU        LI          LIB         LIC        I
 Min. Lot Size                                            15,000 sf   1.5 acres   20,000 sf   10 acres
 Lot Width (through the principal building)               150’        200’        200’        250’
 Frontage and frontage lot width (ft.)                    100’        100’        100’        250’       100’
 Lot Coverage (%)                                  90     70          40          50          30         50
 Front Yard Setbacks                               25’1   25’         30’         60’         10’        60’
 Rear Yard Setbacks                                6’6    15’6,7      25’ 7,8     25’7,8      10’        10’7,8
 Side Yard Setbacks                                6’     10’         25’         25’         10’        20’7,8
 Accessory Structure Rear Yard Setbacks            3’9    3’9         3’9         3’9         3’9        3’9
 Accessory Structure Side Yard Setbacks            3’9    3’9         3’9         3’9         3’9        3’9

(Footnotes 1 through 5 are found in Section 4.1.4)

6 20’ for residential buildings
7 35’ when rear property line abuts residential district or a lot with a residential building as the

primary structure
8 35’ if side yard abuts a railroad right-of-way
9 Only for accessory structures less than 15’ in height



2. That the Town amend Zoning By-Laws Section 4.3.1, the table of “Maximum Height of Buildings” by adding
height requirements for the Commercial Mixed-Use District (newly added), Limited Industrial B (existing), and
Limited Industrial C (existing) districts as follows, and by clarifying that the height allowed in the Limited
Industrial district can be increased to 52 feet or four stories by special permit:

4.3 HEIGHT REGULATIONS

4.3.1 Maximum Height of Buildings. In all districts, no building shall be constructed to exceed the
“Maximum Height” specified in the following table for the district in which said building is located:

Source page 2

District                       Maximum Height
 Residence AA                   25 ft. plus one foot for each additional foot by which: (a) the setback exceeds
 Residence A                    the required setback distance, or (b) the narrower side width, or (c) rear yard
 Residence B                    depth, whichever of the three additional distances is the smallest; provided,
 Residence C                    however, the height shall not in any case exceed 40 ft.
 General Residence
 Commercial Mixed-Use           35 feet or three stories1
 District
 Limited Industrial             40 feet or four stories, whichever is lower; 52 feet or four stories by special
                                permit
 Limited Industrial B           40 feet or three stories2
 Limited Industrial C           70 feet3
 Industrial                     52 feet or four stories by Special Permit
 Business                       40 feet

1 Increase in height to 50’/4.5 stories in the C-MU district when parcels are aggregated to three acres or more

and meet the requirements of Section 6.9

2 Increase in height to 52’/4 stories by special permit in the Limited Industrial B zone when meeting the
requirements of Section 4.3.4 and not abutting a residential district

3 See Section 6.8.5 for additional footnotes



or to take any other action related thereto.

PUBLIC HEARING:
This is to certify that a public hearing concerning the subject matter above, as place on the warrant for the
2022 Annual Town Meeting, was held by the Planning Board on February 16th, 2022 at 5:30 P.M. and
continued to March 2nd, 2022 at 6:00 P.M., in the Salah Meeting Room, Town Hall, 801 Washington Street,
Canton, Massachusetts, in accordance with the provision of the Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 40A.

Said amendment is contained, in its entirety, in a document available for public review on file in the office of
the Planning Board, the Town Clerk, the Board of Selectmen, at Memorial Hall, and at the reference desk of
the Canton Public Library. It is also available online on the Planning Department website.

Notice of the subject matter for the public hearing, sufficient for identification, has been published in the
Canton Citizen, a newspaper of general circulation in the Town on January 27th and February 3rd, 2022.

REPORT:
On February 16th, and again on March 2nd, 2022, the Planning Board discussed the proposed article to amend
Section 4.0 Dimensional Requirements. The Commercial Mixed Used District (newly formed), Limited
Industrial B District (existing), and Limited Industrial District C (existing) are not currently in the table of
maximum height requirements. The proposed changes update the table of height requirements to include
existing and new zoning districts and reflect recommendations in the 2018-2020 Canton Route 138
Economic Development Study.

RECOMMENDATION:
On February 16th, 2022, the Planning Board voted unanimously with four (4) members in favor and none
opposed, to recommend that this Article be adopted at Town Meeting with one correction in the motion, that
the applicable language be added directly into this section of the by-laws. The hearing was closed on March

Source page 3

2nd, 2022, with no changes to the vote and one small clarification in the motion, that the minimum lot size for
Limited Industrial districts is not changing and was incorrectly bolded and underlined.

Voted 4-0
In favor: Patricia McDermott, Kathy McCormack, David McCarthy, and Joseph Amrhein
Not present: Robert E. Panico

MOVED:

That the Town will vote to amend Section 4.0 “Dimensional Requirements,” of the Zoning By-Laws by adding
dimensional and height requirements for the Commercial Mixed-Use District (newly added), Limited Industrial
B (existing), and Limited Industrial C (existing) districts as follows, with bolded and underlined text indicating
changed language:

1. That the Town amend Zoning By-Laws Section 4.1.5, “Table of Dimensional Requirement – Nonresidential
Districts” by adding dimensional requirements for the Commercial Mixed-Use District (newly added), Limited
Industrial B (existing), and Limited Industrial C districts (existing), as follows. Front setbacks in the Limited
Industrial zone are proposed to change from 60’ to 30’, however front setbacks in the Limited Industrial B
zone will remain 60’.

4.1.5 Table of Dimensional Requirements – Nonresidential Districts

 REQUIRED                                             B      C-MU        LI          LIB         LIC           I
 Min. Lot Size                                               15,000 sf   1.5 acres   20,000 sf   10 acres
 Lot Width (through the principal building)                  150’        200’        200’        250’
 Frontage and frontage lot width (ft.)                       100’        100’        100’        250’          100’
 Lot Coverage (%)                                     90     70          40          50          30            50
 Front Yard Setbacks                                  25’1   25’         30’         60’         10’           60’
 Rear Yard Setbacks                                   6’6    15’6,7      25’ 7,8     25’7,8      10’           10’7,8
 Side Yard Setbacks                                   6’     10’         25’         25’         10’           20’7,8
 Accessory Structure Rear Yard Setbacks               3’9    3’9         3’9         3’9         3’9           3’9
 Accessory Structure Side Yard Setbacks               3’9    3’9         3’9         3’9         3’9           3’9

(Footnotes 1 through 5 are found in Section 4.1.4)

6 20’ for residential buildings
7 35’ when rear property line abuts residential district or a lot with a residential building as the primary

structure
8 35’ if side yard abuts a railroad right-of-way
9 Only for accessory structures less than 15’ in height



2. That the Town amend Zoning By-Laws Section 4.3.1, the table of “Maximum Height of Buildings” by adding
height requirements for the Commercial Mixed-Use District (newly added), Limited Industrial B (existing), and
Limited Industrial C (existing) districts as follows, and by clarifying that the height allowed in the Limited
Industrial district can be increased to 52 feet or four stories by special permit:

4.3 HEIGHT REGULATIONS

4.3.1 Maximum Height of Buildings. In all districts, no building shall be constructed to exceed the
“Maximum Height” specified in the following table for the district in which said building is located:

Source page 4

District                       Maximum Height
 Residence AA                   25 ft. plus one foot for each additional foot by which: (a) the setback exceeds
 Residence A                    the required setback distance, or (b) the narrower side width, or (c) rear yard
 Residence B                    depth, whichever of the three additional distances is the smallest; provided,
 Residence C                    however, the height shall not in any case exceed 40 ft.
 General Residence
 Commercial Mixed-Use           35 feet or three stories1
 District
 Limited Industrial             40 feet or four stories, whichever is lower; 52 feet or four stories by special
                                permit
 Limited Industrial B           40 feet or three stories2
 Limited Industrial C           70 feet3
 Industrial                     52 feet or four stories by Special Permit
 Business                       40 feet

1 Increase in height to 50’/4.5 stories in the C-MU district when parcels are aggregated to three acres or more

and meet the requirements of Section 6.9

2 Increase in height to 52’/4 stories by special permit in the Limited Industrial B zone when meeting the
requirements of Section 4.3.4 and not abutting a residential district

3 See Section 6.8.5 for additional footnotes



or to take any other action related thereto.


Respectfully submitted,


_____________________________
David McCarthy
Chair of the Canton Planning Board