38 Forest Lake Rd, Palmer, MA 01069

Rural Residential/Agricultural District

The rural residential and suburban residential zones are intended to preserve land and to provide housing opportunities for individual households. The regulations are intended to create, maintain and promote single-dwelling neighborhoods. They allow for some non-household living uses but not to such an extent as to sacrifice the overall image and character of the single-dwelling neighborhood. The regulations preserve the character of neighborhoods by providing 3 different zones with different densities and development standards. It is intended that these regulations will promote desirable low-density residential areas by promoting aesthetically pleasing environments, safety, privacy, energy conservation, and recreational opportunities. These regulations will also help to preserve open space for wildlife habitat, conservation and passive recreation uses and the remaining prime agricultural lands and forestlands within the town by providing for cluster residential developments. Larger lot sizes in some areas within the town will also aid in the preservation of natural resources and will also help to establish a sewer avoidance area where lot sizes are such that it will eliminate the necessity of extending sewer lines into these areas. The site development standards allow for flexibility of development while maintaining compatibility within the Town’s various neighborhoods. In addition, the regulations provide certainty to property owners, developers, and neighbors about the limits of what is allowed.