Temple Project Zoning Before Town Meeting Tonight

Temple Israel zoning changes are up for approval at tonight's Special Town Meeting.

The proposed changes must be approved for the town to sell the temple property to Atlantic Crossing and for the residential development to take place.

This will be the second time this year that the zoning changes have gone to a Town Meeting vote. The last time, in May, they failed to gain approval, and since then they have been amended.

The new, less dense proposal would divide the property into 14 home sites, a reduction of 25 percent from the 19 sites proposed in May.

The building coverage was 50 percent in May and is now 35 percent.

Other changes include frontage and minimum parcel size.

The minimum lot frontage is now 50 feet; in May it was 10 feet.

The parcel size has increased from a minimum of 3,600 square feet, in May, to 4,500 square feet.

In July selectmen agreed to take $350,000 less from Atlantic Crossing on the sale of the temple property. The developer had proposed to pay the town $2.2 million. 

In May the temple distirct zoning changes failed to get the two-thirds majority vote needed for approval. The article will need a two-thirds majority vote tonight, as well.

The meeting is at 7:30 p.m. in the high school auditorium.

ARTICLE 3. To see if the Town will vote to amend the Zoning By-Law as follows:

SECTION 4.5.2.4.   Add "single family dwellings" to the section so that it reads as follows:

"In the Temple PDD, single family or multi-family dwellings and an accessory garage or storage area, located either beside or under the dwellings, for private automobiles are allowed as of right."

SECTION 4.5.3.0.    The table of PDD dimensional Regulations for the Temple PDD is amended by inserting the following:

“Multi-family" as a header in the column listing the Dimensional Requirements in the Temple PDD

A new column with the header “Single-family” listing the following Dimensional Requirements in the Temple PDD

Minimum Lot Area (sf: square feet)              4,500 sf

Minimum Lot Frontage                        50 feet

Front Yard Setback                                    15 feet

Rear Yard Setback                                    10 feet 

Side Yard Setback                                    10 feet 

Side Yard Setback                                    10 feet 

Maximum Building Coverage                          35%

Open Space Requirement                          N/A

Maximum Height                                       35 feet

Minimum Size Parking Space                          8 ft by 16 ft

Maximum Number of Dwelling Units              14

Maximum Number of Principal Structures per Lot                  1

SECTION 4.5.4.0 is amended to replace the section with the following:

"4.5.4.0 Parcel Subdivision. No parcel of land in the Phillips Fire Station Planned Development District, the Burrill Senior Center Planned Development District, or the Greenwood Planned Development District may be subdivided.

or to take any action relative thereto.

Sponsored by the Board of Selectmen

Comment:  In 2011, the town issued a Request for Proposals soliciting offers for the former Temple Israel property and the Board of Selectmen voted to accept the offer submitted by Atlantic Crossing, LLC.  In order for the Atlantic Crossing, LLC to proceed with the permitting process, amendments to the Zoning By-Law as pertains to the Temple Israel Planned Development District are required.  The Board of Selectmen supports these zoning amendments.

Article 3 requires 2/3's affirmative vote to adopt for a change in zoning.