Chicopee, MA Zoning Overlays & Bonuses: Downtown Design Guide (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Chicopee Code § 275-68, Part 2 (CC40R)
- Maximum new structure length
- 150 feet
- Street trees
- Minimum two inches caliper, 50 feet apart
- Corner-lot parking and access
- Minimum 40 feet from corner point
- Upper floors
- Levels above four stories shall be set back
- Plan approval deadline
- 120 days, then deemed approved
Summary
In the City of Chicopee, Massachusetts, new construction and rehabilitation inside the Chicopee Center 40R overlay must meet the design standards and guidelines in Chicopee Code § 275-68. The standards are mandatory, the guidelines are nonbinding recommendations, and both apply in every subdistrict, including the Downtown and Gateway subdistricts.
B. Part 2: Design Standards and Guidelines. ... (1) Introduction. The Chicopee Center 40R (CC40R) is an overlay zoning district adopted pursuant to MGL Chapter 40R, Smart Growth Zoning and accompanying regulations at 760 CMR 59.00. These design standards and guidelines are intended for the following purposes: ... (2) Applicability. The general design standards and guidelines are applicable in all subdistricts. (3) Design standards. The design standards are intended to set forth mandatory requirements, subject to the provisions set forth in the CC40R. (4) Design guidelines. The design guidelines are intended to set forth nonbinding recommendations that will promote the objectives of the design standards. (5) Height, mass and scale: standards and guidelines. ... (a) Design standards. [1] New structures shall not exceed 150 feet in length. ... [1] Street trees shall be provided with tree grates (urban areas) or in planter strips (suburban areas), using deciduous species to provide summer shade and winter light. Street trees shall be a minimum of two inches caliper and set 50 feet apart and no closer than 20 feet to an intersection.
Full Breakdown
Chicopee Code § 275-68 creates the Chicopee Center 40R Smart Growth Overlay District (CC40R), adopted under MGL Chapter 40R and 760 CMR 59.00. Part 2 of that section holds the design standards and guidelines the City Council adopted so that development is high quality and compatible with the building types and streetscapes found in Chicopee. Part 2 applies in every subdistrict, and its stated purposes name both the Downtown Subdistrict and the Gateway Subdistrict. The code separates two tools. Design standards are mandatory requirements, subject to the CC40R provisions. Design guidelines are nonbinding recommendations.
The mandatory standards include: new structures shall not exceed 150 feet in length; street trees of deciduous species, a minimum of two inches caliper, set 50 feet apart and no closer than 20 feet to an intersection; vehicle entrances and loading areas at the rear whenever possible; floor levels greater than four stories set back to provide solar access to the sidewalk or neighboring properties; surface parking behind buildings and not along street frontages; and, on corner lots, parking and automobile access at least 40 feet from the corner point of the front and side lot lines. Materials are specified too: brick, cast stone, architectural stone, terra cotta and concrete, with brick masonry the preferred main material. Internally illuminated vinyl awnings shall not be used, and continuous awnings across multiple openings are prohibited. In commercial areas, entrances along the main building frontage shall be glazed a minimum of 50%. A separate guideline recommends glazing of a minimum of 70% of the ground-level facade area at storefronts.
Projects located in a locally designated historic district also answer to that district's regulations. The AA that decides plan approval in the overlay must make its decision and file written notice with the City Clerk within 120 days of the City Clerk receiving the application. Failure to act within 120 days, or within an extension agreed in writing, is deemed an approval of the site plan approval application.
Violations & Fines
Section 275-68 assigns administration to the Building Commissioner except where it provides otherwise. A legal appeal from a plan approval decision by the AA is governed by MGL Chapter 40R, and any other enforcement request or appeal under the section is governed by MGL Chapter 40A. The design standards quoted here print no dollar fine of their own. Guidelines are nonbinding, so only the standards operate as requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are the design guidelines in the Chicopee Center overlay mandatory?
How far apart must street trees be in Chicopee Center?
Where does parking go on a new project in the CC40R?
How long does the AA have to decide a site plan application in the overlay?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Chicopee
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