CONCORD VILLAGES
PLANNING AND ZONING OVERLAY STUDY

Introduction and Organization
The Town of Concord has three commercial business centers - Concord Center, the Depot/Thoreau Street area, and West Concord - each displaying a distinctive character, mix of uses, and historic value. The 2005 Comprehensive Long Range Plan (CLRP) identified enhancement of the character of these three Village Centers as a major goal. The Planning Board is leading a comprehensive planning process to apply smart growth and traditional New England design principles to establish Village Center Overlay Districts for existing village centers. The process will engage a broad range of participation by town boards, commissions, businesses, property owners, and residents of the community. A Steering Committee, as well as a Task Force for each Village, has been appointed to develop a comprehensive plan and overlay zoning for each Village Center. The Village Center Overlay Districts will incorporate design parameters, land use mix, economic viability, parking, traffic, signage, lighting, and pedestrian enhancements that will improve the economic and social vitality of the community.

Mission Overview 
The purpose of the Village Overlay Study is to help the town imagine the possibilities and the consequences of any choices we make about the future of our three village centers. Recognizing that change and growth are inevitable the Committees will develop guidelines for development specific to each center to foster those characteristics which make each one vital and attractive to residents and businesses, and foster growth as desired. Attendant changes to zoning will be created and implemented in Zoning Overlay districts.

Goals
To create a Village Plan and Village Zoning Bylaws for each village that provides guidance to:

         *** Protect the unique Character of each village including:
Aesthetic appearance
Variety of businesses
Housing opportunities
Green space and amenities

         *** Enhance the Quality of life for residents and businesses by providing:
Vitality for village living
Solutions for parking, traffic, public transportation

         *** Enhance Economic and Housing opportunities to:
Encourage growth that fits the village character
Increase vitality of business types
Increase housing variety to serve residents in various stages of life.

Specific Issues to Study

  1. Review and modify zoning and building code issues that inhibit the existing pattern of development and potential uses that the community would like such as:
    1. Front and side yard setback requirements may be zero,
    2. Common party walls between buildings,
    3. Sharing of area wide parking resources and the elimination of lot specific requirements where common parking facilities exist,
    4. Height restrictions,
    5. Private open space for housing.
  2. Allow or improve the ability of property owners to develop mixed use buildings which combine retail, office, and residential all in the same building.
    1. Create incentives and remove barriers to the creation affordable housing.
    2. Eliminate predetermined fixed ratios for each use.
    3. Recognition of complimentary parking uses such as retail and office use by day off-set residential at night.
  3. Allow for multi-family housing development with rental and homeownership options that include affordable housing that can serve residents in various life stages.
  1. Improve the walk-ability of the centers and hence customer access to local businesses including:
    1. Ways to encourage use of the commuter rail,
    2. Provide more bike parking or bikeways,
    3. Create new local shuttle system.
    4. Improve pedestrian infrastructure
  1. Consider imposing dimensional, architectural, material use, and landscaping standards through zoning to preserve and improve the character of the centers that are not in an historic district with the goal of making the centers more attractive.
    1. Standards for awnings and signage
    2. Standards for building shape and massing
    3. Standards for installation and maintaining of plantings and trees

What is an Overlay District?

An overlay district is a zoning district that is superimposed over one or more existing districts in order to impose additional restrictions, permit additional uses, or implement density bonuses or incentive zoning to achieve community goals. This is a way to achieve well-planned mixed use development and encourages coordinated, cohesive development across lots or through lot consolidation. An overlay zone can mean that developers may choose to develop according to underlying zoning or under the new overlay provisions.

What is Smart Growth?

Smart Growth is a planning term that supports development that is compact, conserves land, integrates uses, and fosters a sense of place. It strives to create a walk able district mixing commercial, civic, cultural, educational, and recreational opportunities with open space and housing for diverse communities. This term defines the qualities of the three village centers of Concord and our goal is to enhance these qualities when businesses and owners seek to make changes.

More Information

Materials from the Steering Committee and Task Force can be found at the Planning Office at 141 Keyes Road.