This bylaw shall be known as the "Zoning By-Law
of the Town of Dalton, Massachusetts," hereinafter referred to as
"this bylaw."
This bylaw is adopted in accordance with the
provisions of Chapter 40A of the General Laws as amended to regulate
the use of land, buildings and structures to the full extent of the
independent constitutional powers of municipalities.
The purpose of this bylaw is to achieve greater
implementation of the powers granted to the municipalities under Article
89 of the Amendments to the Constitution of the Commonwealth in the
general interests of public health, safety and welfare, including,
but not limited to, the following objectives:
A.
To prevent overcrowding of land, to secure safety
from fire, flood, panic and other dangers, to conserve health, and
to lessen congestion in the streets;
B.
To facilitate the adequate provision of transportation,
water supply, drainage, sewerage, schools, parks, open space and other
public requirements;
C.
To conserve the value of land and buildings including
the conservation of natural resources and the prevention of blight
and pollution of the environment;
D.
To preserve and increase amenities by the promulgation
of regulations designed to:
(1)
Protect the Town's significant environmental features
such as: floodplains and flood-prone areas, wetlands, groundwater
recharge areas, Housatonic River, brooks, ponds, water resources,
woodlands, areas of scenic beauty, and sites and structures of historic
importance;
(2)
Preserve the natural, scenic and aesthetic qualities
of the community;
(3)
Minimize the adverse effects of development on the
Town's unique environmental and historic features;
(4)
Further the objectives of the Town's Master Plan and
the comprehensive plan of the Berkshire County Regional Planning Commission;
(5)
Employ cooperatively the various measures taken by
the Town's agencies, under diverse legislative authority, including
the State Sanitary Code, Wetlands Protections Act, Subdivision Control
Law and the State Building Code,[1] for the protection and enhancement of the Town's existing
small-town character, open spaces, low density of population, and
in the interests of the Town's orderly growth at deliberate pace.
[1]
Editor's Note: See MGL c. 111, § 127A;
MGL c. 131, § § 40 and 40A; MGL c. 41, §§ 81K
to 81GG; MGL c. 143, § 3A, respectively.
