Skip to main content
CityRuleLookup
Building Setbacks & Zoning

Taunton's Building Setbacks & Zoning: The Rules That Matter

By CityRuleLookup Editorial Team

Every city handles building setbacks & zoning a little differently. In Taunton, Massachusetts, there are 3 distinct rules that residents and property owners should be aware of. Some are stricter than what neighboring cities enforce, and others are more relaxed. Here is what you need to know.

Setback Rules

Taunton's Transit-Oriented Development District, the zoning overlay built around the East Taunton MBTA commuter rail station on County Street, requires a minimum ten-foot front, side and rear yard setback for every building. The district also sets a 15,000-square-foot minimum lot, 100-foot minimum frontage and 85% maximum lot coverage. The Zoning Enforcement Officer and Director of Planning and Conservation administer these standards under Chapter 440.

Key details: District: Transit-Oriented Development District, East Taunton MBTA stop. Front setback: 10 feet minimum. Side setback: 10 feet minimum. Rear setback: 10 feet minimum. Minimum lot area: 15,000 square feet.

Chapter 440 makes any violation of its provisions, including the TOD setback minimums, punishable by a fine of up to $300 per offense, with each day a violation continues counted as a separate offense (§ 440-301.B(1)). The Building Inspector may instead pursue noncriminal disposition under MGL c. 40, § 21D, with escalating fines of $50 for a first offense, $100 for a second, and $300 for a third and each later offense (§ 440-301.B(2)). No building permit may issue for plans that fail to meet these dimensional standards.

Structure Height Limits

Taunton caps buildings in its Transit-Oriented Development District at 65 feet and five stories, with maximum lot coverage of 85%. Section 440-1705 sets these limits alongside the district's 10-foot setbacks, allowing dense, walkable construction around the East Taunton MBTA commuter rail station while the general residential height table for the rest of the City sits in a separate Chapter 440 attachment.

Key details: District: Transit-Oriented Development District, East Taunton MBTA stop. Max height: 65 feet. Max stories: Five stories. Max lot coverage: 85%. Base density: Up to 20 residential units per acre.

Chapter 440 makes any violation of its provisions, including the TOD's 65-foot height and five-story caps, punishable by a fine of up to $300 per offense, with each day of a continuing violation counted separately (§ 440-301.B(1)). The Building Inspector may instead issue noncriminal citations under MGL c. 40, § 21D, with escalating fines of $50, $100 and $300 for a first, second and third-or-later offense (§ 440-301.B(2)). No building permit may issue for plans exceeding these height limits.

Lot Coverage Limits

Inside Taunton's Transit-Oriented Development District, buildings and pavement can cover no more than 85% of a lot. The same dimensional table caps height at 65 feet and five stories, sets a 15,000-square-foot minimum lot, and requires 10-foot front, side and rear setbacks.

Key details: Max lot coverage (TOD): 85%. Max height (TOD): 65 feet, 5 stories. Min lot area (TOD): 15,000 sq ft. Min setbacks (TOD): 10 ft front/side/rear. SPGA for TOD: Board of Appeals.

Development inside the TOD District goes through the Board of Appeals as the special permit granting authority under § 440-1702, and a project that exceeds the 85% coverage cap cannot receive a building permit or certificate of occupancy from the Building Commissioner. Article XVII sets no standalone fine for a coverage overage, so an as-built violation falls back on Code § 1-5's general $300 penalty or the § 1-6 noncriminal disposition schedule ($50, $100, then $300 per offense), with each day of noncompliance counted as a separate offense.

The Bottom Line

Taunton'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 Taunton is broadly strict or permissive.

All of the above reflects Taunton's municipal code as of our last review. If you need specifics on fines, exemptions, or filing requirements, the detailed ordinance pages linked above have the full breakdown.