The members of the Auburn Town Council passed a number of amendments to the zoning regulations at the town meeting on October 26.

The amendments to the zoning charter are intended to ensure that Auburn remains competitive in commercial development.

The authorization clauses of the zoning charter include increasing the maximum building height of commercial and industrial areas, adding and/or modifying usage descriptions, and updating the chart of zoning charter usage.

Appropriate zoning is vital to community development because it determines the use of land. Building "effective" communities-inclusive, healthy, resilient and sustainable-requires intensive policy coordination and investment options. Since 1941, Auburn's zoning charter has not undergone a comprehensive and substantive update.

The Auburn Economic Development Strategy is planned to be completed in 2017 and outlines some strengths, weaknesses and strategies to help promote Auburn’s economic development.

Most of the report identified the need to review the current zoning regulations and make strategic changes based on economic development opportunities; including changes to height restrictions. Closely related, some interviewees in the report said that outdated zoning designations may be the biggest obstacle to Auburn’s development. Sections 21 and 22 of the writ will help ensure that the zoning regulations are updated to match the economic opportunities of today and tomorrow.  

In the past 20 years, people have increasingly hoped that warehouses and commercial buildings have higher ceiling heights.

Auburn currently allows a maximum building height of 35 feet in industrial and commercial areas. Due to this limitation, the existing building height is not always conducive to attracting more modern uses to Auburn (ie biotechnology, high-tech, modern distribution). Many of these modern uses are incubators for economic development and bring high-paying jobs to the region.

Recently, other surrounding towns have changed their height restrictions due to demand. Sutton recently approved a maximum altitude of 70 feet. Charlton recently changed its maximum altitude to 75 feet (with special permission up to 110 feet). Oxford, Upton, Millbury, Spencer, Uxbridge, Leicester, Dudley and Webster all have maximum building heights between 45 feet and 55 feet, far exceeding the 35 feet allowed by Auburn.

Auburn can no longer rely solely on location to attract business. Auburn’s commercial and industrial areas have the lowest building heights and limited commercial land available.

Business investment can help generate income, provide urban services, create new jobs, and provide opportunities to improve infrastructure. In addition, many commercial developments utilize and promote more sustainable and environmentally friendly functions and practices.

It is important to note that the town does not recommend allowing 80-foot buildings in residential areas. These height changes are intended to promote more development of commercial corridors and industrial areas.

Large-scale horizontal buildings not only require more land, but also bring difficulties to public safety. Through discussions with the Auburn Fire Department, they mentioned that many of the larger low-rise commercial and industrial buildings in the town have more difficulties in fire repair than the 80-foot-tall buildings.  

For example, if you flip the Auburn Shopping Center vertically, it will be as high as the Empire State Building. Although the building has sprinkler and fire alarm protection, it does not require structural fire resistance, smoke exit enclosures, smoke control systems and/or smoke exhaust systems-all of which are required for "high-rise" buildings.

In Massachusetts, the state building code classifies any building over 70 feet as a "high-rise building." This height threshold includes additional code triggers designed to improve the safety of occupants and firefighters, as well as improve the overall fire and smoke performance of the building.

In addition to increasing the height of commercial and industrial buildings, it is also important to reflect current/more modern companies on the city's zoning usage chart. Currently, the town does not always properly classify new businesses. An accurate and updated table of uses will help promote the proper development of urban areas.

Examples of new uses include: bed and breakfasts or hotels, indoor amusement facilities (ie escape rooms, trampoline parks). Outdoor leisure facilities (ie mini golf course), fitness services (ie martial arts, gym, dance studio), on-board charging station, auction house or artist gallery, brewery/brewery/beer bar, conference center, grocery store or market, professional Markets, gift shops, research facilities (biotechnology), collaborative workspaces and technology incubators.