Land Development Guide

Water and Sewer Rates effective July 1^st, 2021 are:

HCF= 100 Cubic Feet

You should have a mortgage plan from when you purchased the property, but this is not considered a certified plot plan. If you are putting on an addition or building a new structure, you will need a certified plot plan completed by a registered land surveyor. The Engineering Department page will have a list of registered land surveyors in the area which you can choose from.

There are different buildable lot requirements by zoning districts throughout the city. You should contact the City Planner or call 781-286-8183 or Building Dept. at 781-286-8197.

You can contact the City Floodplain Administrator or call 781-286-8183 or you can go to www.revere.org/gis and place your address in the search bar located in the top left corner of the page and click search. Once the property is located you can click on the layers box in the top right corner and scroll down to the 100-year floodplain layer. Click on this layer and it will show a shaded blue layer if your property is within the floodplain and show the flood elevation.

You can contact the City Planner or call 781-286-8183 or contact the Building Department at 781-286-8197. If you know what zoning district your property is in, you can go to the City website and search zoning ordinances. Section 17.16.040 is the Use Regulation Table, and you can find the allowable uses within your zoning district.

Contact the Building Department at 781-286-8197 to request a record check to determine legal occupancy of a property.

You must first determine what zoning district your property is in. If you are within the RB District, a two-family dwelling is allowed, however you are required to provide 4 on site parking spaces and bring both units up to building code, plumbing code, electrical code, and fire code standards. You are required to contact the Building Commissioner to determine whether the property meets minimum eligibility standards for conversion to a two family. Note if your property is located within the 100-year floodplain, you cannot have a habitable area below the 100-year flood plain elevation.

The Code of Ordinances can be found here. Please contact Frank Stringi if you have any questions.

The Zoning Map can be found at https://gis.revere.org/.

Excavating Permit – Required for digging to occur in a public way.

Permit to Occupy the Street – Required for the installation of equipment on a public street or sidewalk.

Curb Cut Permit – Required when creating a new curb cut on a public street. A curb cut on a state road requires the permission of the Massachusetts Department of Public Works.

Sewer Permit – Required for the installation and repair of a sewer line. Depending on the quality and quantity of the process waste discharge, an industrial pretreatment permit may be required.

Tree Removal Permit – Required by the Public Shade Tree Act (M.G.L., Chapter 87, Section 3) for the cutting of trees in the public road layout. Where the public way is designated a scenic way, permission from the Planning Board is also required.

Subsurface Sewage Disposal Permit – Required for the installation of a subsurface sewage disposal system. The permit is regulated under Title V of the State Sanitary Code.

Private Water Supply Permit – Required for the installation of a private well.

Solid Waste Disposal Permit – Required for the disposal of solid waste.

Stump Dump Permit – Required for the underground disposal of tree stumps.

General – All projects requiring a building permit should be described in a letter to the Building Commissioner for determination of zoning and building code conformance, thus satisfying the Zoning requirements of Title 17 and the State Building Code Section 110.1.

Building Permit – Required for the construction, reconstruction, alteration, repair, removal or demolition of a structure as defined by the Massachusetts Building Code.

Occupancy Permit – Required for occupancy of a structure for which a building permit has been issued. The occupancy permit certifies that construction complies with the Massachusetts Building, Plumbing and Electrical Codes, and with the requirements of the National Fire Protection Association. It also certifies that the intended use and number of occupants comply with the Massachusetts Building Code and the Zoning Ordinance.

Wiring Permit – Required for the installation of wiring in a structure.

Plumbing Permit – Required for the installation of plumbing.

Sign Permit – Required under the Zoning Ordinance for certain types of signs. Inquiries should be made to the Building Department. Signs in the Urban Renewal District (see page 15) require design approval by the Design Review Board.

Natural Gas Permit – Required for the installation of natural gas.

Work in the 100-Year Floodplain – Construction in the 100-year floodplain is restricted under the State Building Code and the Zoning Ordinance and is enforced by the Building Commissioner. Work in the 100-year floodplain is also regulated by the Conservation Commission in accordance with the Wetlands Protection Act. To determine if a property is sited in the 100-year floodplain, see the Flood Insurance Rate Maps on file with the Building and Planning Departments.

Cutting and Welding Permit – Required for all cutting and welding operations.

Explosives Permit – Required for the use and handling of class A, B, and C explosives in accordance with 527 CMR 13:00. In certain storage situations a license may be required under M.G.L., Chapter 148, Section 13 from the City Council.

Fire Protection System Installation Permit – Required for the installation, modification, repair or removal of any sprinkler system, water main, fire hydrant, fire alarm system or any device used for fire protection.

Flammable Fluids, Solids and Gases Permit – Required for the storage, use and handling of

flammable fluids, solids and gases regulated by 527 CMR 14:00. In certain storage situations a license may be required under M.G.L., Chapter 148, Section 13 from the City Council.

LP-Gas Storage Permit – Required for the keeping of LP-gas in one or more containers and the installation or connection of any LP-gas equipment in accordance with 527 CMR 6:00. In certain storage situations a license may be required under M.G.L., Chapter 148, Section 13 from the City Council. Oil Burner Installation

Permit - Required for the installation or alteration of an oil burner in accordance with 527 CMR 4:00.

Tanks and Container Permit – Required for the installation and removal of a storage tank for the storage of any fluid other than water, regulated by 527 CMR 9:00. In certain storage situations a license may be required from the City Council.

Special Permits - The Table of Principal Uses in the Zoning Ordinance (Section 17.16.04) identifies those uses requiring a special permit, and the entity responsible for the granting of the Special Permit: In this Use Table “Y” means a use permitted “by right” (that is, with no special, discretionary approval for the City Council), indicates Special Permit. The City Council acts as the Special Permit Granting Authority for the City of Revere. Once an application for a special permit is submitted to the City Council, a public hearing will be held within 65 days. At the public hearing the applicant or a representative will present the development proposal to the board and public in attendance. The board must then make a decision decide on the application within 90 days of the close of the public hearing. 

For more specific information on special permits see Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 40A, Section 9; the Revere Zoning Ordinance, Section 17.48 Article III. 

Approval Not Required Plan (ANR) - ANR plans are submitted to the Planning Board when lots are being created that have sufficient frontage on a way as defined in the Zoning Ordinance. If adequate frontage does not exist, a Subdivision Plan will have to be filed. "Approval Not Required" refers to approval under the Subdivision Control Law, M.G.L., Chapter 41, Sections 81K - 81GG. ANR plans should be submitted to the Community Development Department in City Hall at least 48 hours before a Planning Board meeting. The procedures for filing an ANR plan can be found in the Revere Subdivision Rules and Regulations. 

 Subdivision Approval - A Subdivision Plan must be filed when lots are being created that do not have sufficient frontage on an existing way. Preliminary Subdivision Plans are mandatory for nonresidential subdivisions and are optional but strongly recommended for residential subdivisions. The Planning Board will render a decision on the application within 45 days after plan submittal. If a Preliminary Plan has been submitted, the Planning Board has 90 days to render a decision on a Definitive Plan. Otherwise, the Planning Board must render a decision within 135 days. For more information about subdivision approval please see the Revere Subdivision Rules and Regulations, available from the Department of Planning and Community Development. 

Pursuant to M.G.L., Chapter 40A, Section 10, the Zoning Board of Appeals may grant variances from the Zoning Ordinance. If an application for a building permit from the Building Department results in a determination that a variance is required for a project, the next step is to get a Zoning Board of Appeals variance application from the City Clerk. The ZBA will hold a public hearing within 65 days after the filing of a variance petition; a decision will be made within 100 days from the filing of a variance petition.

Site Plan Review – The purpose of Site Plan Review is to ensure that the design and layout of new commercial, industrial, and residential developments will be beneficial to the neighborhoods and environment of the City of Revere. Site Plan Review is required for all new construction projects over 1,000 gross square feet of building area. The Site Plan Review process and committee is governed by Zoning Ordinance Chapter 17.17 as established by the City Council. 

 Site Plan Review is held every Tuesday morning at 10:00 AM in the Council Chambers in City Hall and is presided over by the Site Plan Review Committee (SPRC). Site Plan Review applications are due by Tuesday at 4PM for the following week’s Site Plan Review meeting; late applications will be reviewed at the next meeting. Information on Site Plan Review applications can be found on the “Permitting Applications” section below. 

 Following a formal meeting with the Site Plan Review Committee, applicants will receive an approval or denial letter, which will issue a formal determination and outline the steps ahead in the permitting process.