How Revere Handles Building Setbacks & Zoning: A Practical Guide
Revere maintains 121 local ordinances across all categories, and 3 of those deal specifically with building setbacks & zoning. Here is a breakdown of what the city actually requires, what is prohibited, and where Revere falls on the strict-to-permissive spectrum compared to other cities.
Lot Coverage Limits
A professional office park in Revere cannot cover more than 25 percent of its lot with buildings, excluding accessory structures and parking, and must set aside 15 percent of the land as open space. The standard applies in the PDD2 and TED districts by right and in a dozen other districts by special permit.
Key details: Max lot coverage: 25% of land area. Required open space: 15% of land. Minimum parcel size: 5 acres. By-right districts: PDD2, TED. Daily penalty: Up to $300 per day.
Exceeding the 25 percent lot coverage cap or falling short of the 15 percent open space set-aside violates § 17.16.175 and the general Title 17 penalty in § 17.60.090, up to three hundred dollars per day for each day the noncompliance continues. The building inspector must withhold any building permit for an office park addition that would push coverage over the limit.
Structure Height Limits
Revere caps a new professional office park structure at two and one-half stories or 35 feet, whichever governs, under Revere Municipal Code § 17.16.175(F). An existing structure that gets altered or reconstructed keeps its current number of stories even if that exceeds the new-construction limit.
Key details: Height limit: 2.5 stories or 35 feet. Existing structure rule: Keeps current story count. Applies to: Professional office park use. By-right districts: PDD2, TED. Daily penalty: Up to $300 per day.
A new professional office park structure built taller than two and one-half stories or 35 feet, or an altered structure raised above its existing number of stories, violates § 17.16.175(F) and the Title 17 penalty in § 17.60.090 of up to three hundred dollars per day. The building inspector must withhold or revoke the building permit under §§ 17.60.040 and 17.60.050.
Setback Rules
A professional office park in Revere must keep a 20-foot front yard and 50-foot side and rear yards, well beyond the setbacks Revere applies to most other commercial uses. The standard runs through Revere Municipal Code § 17.16.175 and applies wherever a professional office park use is allowed, by right or by special permit.
Key details: Front yard setback: 20 feet. Side/rear yard setback: 50 feet. Applies to: Professional office park use. By-right districts: PDD2, TED. Daily penalty: Up to $300 per day.
Building within the required 20-foot front yard or 50-foot side or rear yard for a professional office park violates § 17.16.175(E) and the Title 17 penalty in § 17.60.090, up to three hundred dollars per day per violation. The building inspector must also withhold the building permit under § 17.60.040 until the encroachment is corrected.
The Bottom Line
Revere's building setbacks & zoning rules are a mixed bag. Some areas are strict, others are relaxed, and the details matter. The best approach is to check the specific rule that applies to your situation rather than assuming Revere is broadly strict or permissive.
These rules come from Revere's publicly available municipal code. For complete penalty schedules, exemption details, and answers to common questions, see the individual ordinance pages throughout this guide.