Leominster, MA Parking Rules: Driveway Rules (2026)

Section 22-50 of Leominster's zoning ordinance sets the ground rules for driveways citywide. Subsection 50.2 caps the number of driveways permitting entrance to and exit from a lot at two per street line in every district, and requires that driveways be positioned to minimize conflict with street traffic and preserve good visibility and sight distances for approaching pedestrians and vehicles. Subsection 50.3 then adds a residential-specific rule: a driveway in any residential district may not come closer than three feet to the side lot line, and the property has to maintain a strip of greenery at least three feet wide along the full length of the driveway where it runs beside the property line, so a paved driveway cannot simply run edge-to-edge with a neighbor's yard.

Common driveways serving more than one lot are generally not permitted under Section 22-50.4.1, with two exceptions: a common driveway may serve two or more business or industrial lots in the C, I, MU1 or MU2 districts if the planning board confirms it still leaves suitable open space on each site, and a common driveway may serve two or more principal uses within the health care overlay district (HCO) even where those uses differ. Section 22-51 adds a separate scope limit: no private way or driveway serving a nonresidential use in a nonresidential district may be built through a residential district, keeping business and industrial traffic off residential streets.