Hampshire County has no ordinance power over setbacks. Front, side, and rear yards are set by each city or town's zoning bylaw under the Massachusetts Zoning Act, MGL c.40A. Northampton, Amherst, and Easthampton each fix their own minimum yards.
Hampshire County government was abolished in 1999 and never zoned, so no county rule sets setbacks. Yard minimums come from the municipal zoning ordinance or bylaw adopted under the Zoning Act, MGL c.40A, which authorizes reasonable regulations determining yard sizes and setbacks. Residential districts across the Pioneer Valley commonly require a front setback of 15 to 30 feet, side yards of 10 to 15 feet, and a rear yard of 20 to 30 feet, but the exact figures differ by community and district. Northampton's urban residence districts run tighter than the two-acre rural districts in Belchertown or the hilltowns. Land near the Connecticut River, the Mill River, and mapped wetlands carries added buffer limits.
The city or town building commissioner enforces setback violations, not the county.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
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See how Belchertown's setback rules rules stack up against other locations.
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