Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Town of Hatfield, Massachusetts

Town of Hatfield’s own rules

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Hatfield town limits. The town adopts and administers its own zoning by-laws (Hatfield Zoning By-laws, amended through May 11, 2021), with a zoning map that the bylaw identifies as Hampshire County, Massachusetts.

  • Copy reviewed is hosted on the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission site, not the town site; the town site and Town Clerk were not opened, so later amendments are unverified.
  • Use permissions depend on the district and the use table; see zoning_districts and accessory_dwelling claims.
  • Bylaw section 2.1 lists rr, tc, tcb, b, i, li, ag, fp and ws designations.
  • Overlay districts (floodplain, water supply protection, riverfront) are described in sections 2.4 to 2.6.

  “within the town of hatfield are hereby established, nine (9) zoning districts.”

• Zoning districtsPublished

  Hatfield town zoning districts (inside town limits only).

  • Designations: rr (rural residential or outlying residential), tc (town center), tcb (town center business), b (business), i (industrial), li (light industrial), ag (agricultural), fp (floodplain overlay), ws (water supply protection overlay).
  • Boundaries are on the zoning map; the overlay districts are shown for information only, and official boundaries are set in their own sections.
  • Map reference is to a 2003 map prepared by Applied Geographics, Inc., with later amendments listed in the bylaw.

  “district designations are as follows: designation title and purpose rr rural residential district or outlying residential district tc town center district tcb town center business district b business district i industrial district li light industrial district ag agricultural district fp floodplain overlay district ws water supply protection overlay district”

• Manufactured homesProhibited

  Mobile homes inside the Hatfield town floodplain overlay district only (section 2.4). Mobile homes elsewhere in town are not addressed by this excerpt; the use table lists mobile home (1.18) and residential trailer or mobile home, temporary use (1.19), but those codes were not decoded.

  • Prohibition applies within the floodplain overlay district.
  • Table entries 1.18 and 1.19 remain unresolved for the other districts.

  “the following uses shall be prohibited within the floodplain overlay districts: (1) mobile homes;”

• Accessory dwellingsLimited

  Accessory apartment within an existing one-family detached dwelling in Hatfield town (use 1.25 in the use table). Other accessory dwelling types were not reviewed.

  • Minimum lot area is 12,000 sq.ft. or 1,000 sq.ft. per sleeping room, whichever is greater.
  • The building must be connected to the public sewer system before occupancy.
  • The lot must fall within one of the listed areas: areas close to heavily travelled streets; areas close to business, commercial, and educational districts; or areas already developed for multi-family use.
  • The use table entry for 1.25 has permission codes that were not decoded; permit level (by right, special permit, or site plan) is unverified.
  • Section 3.4.4 (accessory apartments) and a draft amendment appear in the bylaw table of contents and in 2024 Planning Board notices; the 2021 text was used here.

  minimum lot area: >= 12000 sq.ft. (or 1,000 sq.ft. per sleeping room, whichever is greater)

  “minimum lot area shall be 12,000 sq.ft. or 1,000 sq.ft. per sleeping room, whichever is greater. the building shall be connected with the public sewer system prior to occupancy. its lot shall fall within one of the following areas: areas close to heavily travelled streets; areas close to business, commercial, and educational districts; areas already developed for multi-family use”

• Mandatory utility hookupConditional

  Accessory apartments within an existing one-family dwelling in Hatfield town. No general water or sewer connection rule for new homes was found in the bylaw.

  • The building must be connected to the public sewer system before occupancy.
  • Rules for new single-family homes (distance to public sewer or water) were not located; the Hatfield subdivision and sewer ordinances were not opened.

  “the building shall be connected with the public sewer system prior to occupancy.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Open space development projects under zoning section 6.2 in Hatfield town. Standard subdivisions are governed by the town subdivision regulations, which were not opened.

  • Open space development projects must follow subdivision procedures in the town subdivision regulations.
  • Planning Board submits plans to the board of health, conservation commission, public works superintendent, police, fire chief and town administrator for review.

  “applicants for open space development projects shall follow all procedures specified in the town of hatfield subdivision regulations.”

• Building in a floodplainLimited

  Land inside the Hatfield town floodplain overlay district (section 2.4).

  • Certain uses are prohibited in the floodplain overlay district, including mobile homes, storage of floatable materials, industrial uses, and junkyards.
  • Section 2.4.6 lists uses allowed by special permit, and 2.4.7 to 2.4.9 set special permit rules; those sections were not opened.
  • Floodplain boundaries are defined in section 2.4.2 and the referenced flood maps; not opened.

  “the following uses shall be prohibited within the floodplain overlay districts: (1) mobile homes; (2) storage of floatable materials, such as lumber; (3) industrial uses; (4) junkyards, solid waste landfills, auto salvage and recycling, dumps;”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Town of Hatfield or Hampshire County directly.

• Building permit — New residential construction in Hatfield town
• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption in Hatfield town
• Building code adopted — Hatfield town building code adoption
• Inspections — Building inspections in Hatfield town
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy for new homes in Hatfield town

Each answer was extracted from an official source and independently re-checked against that source by a second reviewer. That is an evidence check, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the authority before you buy or build.