On Tuesday October 13, at 6 p.m at the Rockport Opera House, the Rockport Select Board has on its regularly scheduled meeting agenda a hearing to provide the community with the opportunity to discuss and learn more about the articles it will vote upon on November 3.

The municipal warrant articles that will appear on the Nov. 3 ballot include lighting restrictions on buildings, lots and roads; allowances for increasing building heights in all zones from 34 feet to 42 feet to allow for another building story. 

Rockport's existing Land Use Ordinance can be found here.

Article 2. Shall the Town adopt amendments to the Rockport Land Use Ordinance.

These amendments follow and the proposed changes are marked in red:

Article 3. Shall the Town adopt amendments to the Rockport Land Use Ordinance to include a Rental Housing Unit Ordinance to be included in Chapter 800?

The proposed ordinance, if approved, would require a registration of all Rental Units within Rockport. The goal is to improve life and safety standards, and is, the town said in its explanation: "already a requirement of Hotels, Motels, and Inns, and should be extended to all rental units. This is also related to the Comprehensive Plan strategy H-6. H-6 Seek to achieve a level of at least 10% of new residential development built or placed during the next decade be affordable.

"Most of this 10% will be new builds which will be required to meet these standards. However, we are finding a healthy mix of ADU’s being created for additional household revenue to pay for yearly costs. These ADUs, if gone through proper permitting, will also meet these life and safety standards, which include ensuring adequately sized septic systems are in place. The ones that do not obtain proper permitting end up not meeting these standards and are only found out after an issue is discovered, such as a failed septic system. This ordinance will help mitigate these issues."

The proposed ordinance follows: