A. Purpose. The purpose of the Critical Resource District is to ensure that lands critical to the environmental quality of the Town of Southborough are not physically developed prior to consideration of alternatives to such development.

B. Regulations. Critical Resource Districts, as shown on the Zoning Map, shall be considered to be superimposed over any other district established in this chapter. Land in a Critical Resource District may be used as otherwise permitted in the underlying district, subject to the following:

(1) No density bonuses as authorized under § 174-13.2F shall be allowed for development within the Critical Resource District, but land within the district may be used to earn development bonuses for development to be located outside the district through transferring of development rights, as provided by § 174-13.2F.

(2) Submittals under major residential development must include a flexible development proposal.

(3) In acting on major residential. development proposals, if the Planning Board determines that neither the basic development proposal before it nor any submitted alternatives can adequately protect scenic views, habitats, fragile natural environments or other critical environmental resources, it shall grant a special permit only either:

(a) Upon determination that nondevelopment alternatives for utilization of site value have been reasonably pursued and found to be infeasible, including transfer of development rights or sale of land or rights to the town or other organization having land preservation purposes; or

(b) Upon imposition of a stipulation that no building permit is to be issued under the special permit and no site preparation is to take place until either one hundred twenty (120) days lapse from the date of approval or a town meeting has earlier acted on a proposal for acquisition of fee or rights over part or all of the premises in question.