Item Coversheet


Town of Arlington, Massachusetts


Article 34
Warrant Article Title:

ZONING BYLAW AMENDMENT / ADMINISTRATIVE CORRECTION

Warrant Article Text:

To see if the Town will vote to amend Section 4.2 of the Zoning Bylaw, to reflect changes to the Zoning Map adopted by previous Town Meeting action; or take any action related thereto.

Requested by:

Inserted at the request of the Redevelopment Board

 
Report Excerpt:

VOTE: Favorable Action (5-0) 

 

DISCUSSION
Town Meeting often votes to adopt Zoning Map changes, meaning that the map is updated on a regular basis. Referring to the date of the most recent Zoning Map change in the text of the Zoning Bylaw means that the Bylaw frequently lags a year behind the reality of changes approved by Town Meeting, resulting in incorrect information in the Zoning Bylaw about the date of the current Zoning Map. It thus necessitates that every time a map change is approved, an additional warrant article must be brought to a subsequent Town Meeting to change the date of the Zoning Map in the Bylaw, which will immediately be outdated if further map changes are adopted at that same Town Meeting. Article 34 proposes to eliminate the Bylaw’s reference to a specifically dated Zoning Map, which will enable the Town to keep up-to-date Zoning Maps and make them available to the public without continually bringing warrant articles to Town Meeting to change the date. Town Counsel has confirmed that having the date in the Zoning Bylaw is not required.

 
Vote Language:

That the Zoning Bylaw be and hereby is amended as follows:

Amend SECTION 4.2, Zoning Map, as follows:


4.2 ZONING MAP


Zoning districts are shown on a map entitled "Zoning Map of the Town of Arlington, MA” and dated May 14, 2021 (the Zoning Map) on file in the Office of the Town Clerk and the Department of Planning and Community Development. The district boundaries shown on the Zoning Map, including all Overlay Districts listed in Section 4.1.2 of this bylaw, are part of this bylaw. The Zoning Map may include geographical features, streets, notations, and such other information to keep the map current and to facilitate orientation.