Building Setbacks & Zoning in Framingham, MA (2026)
3 verified building setbacks & zoning rules for Framingham, Massachusetts, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Setback Rules
In the City of Framingham, a nonresidential building whose side lot line touches a Single-Family Residential or General Residence district must keep a 30-foot side setback under Zoning Ordinance § 435-27E(4). That distance drops to 10 feet for lots in the Neighborhood Business (B-1) District, and the rule does not apply to single-family or two-family lots, which follow the Table of Dimensional Regulations instead.
Framingham Side Setback Near Residential Zones
Some RestrictionsFramingham City Code § 435-27E(4)
(4) Side setback abutting residential district. Where a side lot line of a lot in a nonresidential district abuts a Single-Family Residential or General Residence Zoning District, there shall be a minimum side setback requirement for buildings on such lot of 30 feet; except in the Neighborhood Business (B-1) Districts, where such minimum side setback requirement for buildings on such lot shall ...
Structure Height Limits
In the City of Framingham, a nonresidential building within 50 feet of a Single-Family Residential or General Residence district is capped at 30 feet in height under Zoning Ordinance § 435-27G(4)(a). In the Neighborhood Business (B-1) District, the Planning Board can grant a special permit raising that cap to 40 feet under § 435-27G(4)(b) if the taller building fits the area's historic commercial pattern.
Framingham Height Limits Near Residential Districts
Some RestrictionsFramingham City Code § 435-27G(4)(a), (b)
(4) Height requirements near residential districts. ... the following additional requirements shall apply for all buildings (except for those in single-family or two-family use), in nonresidential zoning districts, when such building is in close proximity to a Single-Family Residential or General Residence Zoning District. (a) Buildings located less than 50 feet from a Single-Family Residential...
Lot Coverage Limits
In Framingham's Corporate Mixed-Use (CMU) zoning district, the standard lot coverage limit set under City Code § 435-27B can rise from 70% to 80% under § 435-15D(2)(e) if a project's open space connects to at least 50% of the required landscaped area on the adjoining CMU project for at least 50 feet, encouraging linked open space across the district.
Framingham CMU Lot Coverage Limit
Some RestrictionsFramingham City Code § 435-15D(2)(e)
Projects shall be designed to comply with the required open space requirement set forth in § 435-27B of this chapter. A project may increase the lot coverage from 70% to 80% in the CMU if the project's open space immediately abuts at least 50% of the required landscaped area of the adjoining project for a distance of at least 50 feet. The intent of this increase is to allow for connectivity to ...