Reference Library

Building Size Limits

• The Hometown Advantage page of the Institute for Local Self-reliance has many examples.
• Examples of local regulations
  • Conway limits comm bldgs to 5,000 SF within its Special Highway Corridor Overlay District (147.13.19.18 BUILDING SIZE) of the Zoning Ordinance  very large! 8.45mb.
  • Hollis limits commercial building size to 12,000 s.f. in its "downtown" Agricultural and Business District.
  • Hopkinton approved a limitation of 40,000 sf in its Industrial Zone, and 20,000 sf in the Village Industrial Zone in 2005. See the table of dimensional requirements.
  • Londonderry’s Performance Overlay District - Route 102 Corridor (section 2.6.1 of the zoning ordinance) has building size limits in 2.6.1.7 PERFORMANCE STANDARDS
  • Stratham has a limit of 80,000 SF in their General Commercial and Commercial/Light Industrial Office districts (See Article IV, Section 4.2 Table of Dimensional Requirements in the Stratham Zoning Ordinance March 2004 Edition.) 
  • Walpole has a limit of 40,000 SF in their Commercial District (Article VI) of the Zoning Ordinance.
  • Warner has a size limit of 20,000 s.f. per building or 40,000 s.f. for multiple buildings on the same lot (see ARTICLE XI COMMERCIAL DISTRICT C­1 of the zoning ordinance)
  • Windham has a commercial building size limit of 10,000 square feet in their Village Center Zoning District
• "Adjacent Wal-Marts May Dodge Size Curbs" By Amit R. Paley, Washington Post Staff Writer Monday, March 7, 2005; Page B01
• "Meeting the Big Box Challenge - Planning Design, and Regulatory Strategies," Planner’s Advisory Service Report #537, APA Planners Book Service

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