What is zoning?

Zoning is a community planning tool by which a local government specifies how properties within a community can be developed and used. In order to regulate land use across a community and thereby guide its development, areas known as zoning districts are created in the Zoning Ordinance.

The Zoning Ordinance is the legal framework that regulates development in municipalities. The Zoning Ordinance has two major parts: the zoning map that illustrates how the town is divided into different districts, and the zoning text that describes the regulations that apply in each district. Municipal zoning ordinances are governed by Chapter 40A of the Massachusetts General Laws.

Zoning districts regulate the types of structures that can be built as well as the kinds of businesses that can be operated in a given area. The Weymouth Zoning Ordinance and Zoning Map represent governing documents for allowable land use and development in Weymouth. They specify not only the areas in which uses for commercial, industrial, recreational, and residential purposes can take place but also the processes by which these uses are approved.