Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Town of Alfred, New York

Town of Alfred’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Construction over 64 square feet inside the Town of Alfred.

  • A zoning and building permit are both required.
  • Before issuance, the applicant must provide proof of septic-system approval by the Allegany County Health Department.

  construction-area threshold: > 64 square feet

  “All construction over 64 square feet requires a Zoning and Building Permit.”

• InspectionsRequired

  Construction, reconstruction, or alteration subject to the Town zoning law inside the Town of Alfred.

  • The applicant must notify the inspector when work is complete.
  • The inspector has 30 days after notification to inspect and issue a zoning compliance certificate.

  inspection deadline after completion notice: <= 30 days

  “inspector shall inspect the completed structure”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside the Town of Alfred, Allegany County, New York.

  • The official zoning map is kept in the Town Clerk's office; amendments adopted by the Town Board control changes to district boundaries.

  “For the purpose of encouraging the most appropriate use of land and conserving the value of property, the Town of Alfred is hereby divided into the following districts:”

• Lot coverageSpecified

  Principal and accessory buildings inside the Town of Alfred.

  • Principal-building maximum is 40 percent in B-1 and I-1 rather than 35 percent.
  • Accessory buildings may not exceed 25 percent of the rear yard except in B-1 and I-1, where the law states there are no restrictions.

  principal building maximum lot coverage: <= 35 percent (40 percent in B-1 and I-1) · B-1 and I-1 principal building maximum lot coverage: <= 40 percent · accessory building rear-yard maximum coverage: <= 25 percent (No restrictions in B-1 and I-1)

  “No principal building shall exceed 35% of the lot except in B-1 and I-1 where the principal building shall not exceed 40% of the lot. No accessory building shall exceed 25% of the rear yard except in the B-1 and I-1 Districts where there are no restrictions.”

• Building in a floodplainRequired

  Any use or building in the Town-designated Flood Plain Zone inside the Town of Alfred.

  • Any use must be reviewed by the Planning Board and Town Board before a permit is granted.
  • No zoning permit for a building in the Flood Plain Zone may issue unless approved by the Town Board.
  • The Town Board applies the listed flood-flow, anchoring, flood-damage, and technical-data standards.

  “In an effort to minimize flood damage, any use to be implemented in the designated flood plain area shall be reviewed by the Planning Board before granting a permit.”

• Permit feesVariable (with conditions)

  Town zoning and building permits for land inside the Town of Alfred.

  • The zoning permit is $10.00.
  • The building permit fee is based on construction cost.

  zoning permit fee: 10 USD · building permit fee: based on cost of construction

  “Cost of a Zoning Permit is $10.00 and Building Permit is based on cost of construction.”

Rules another office applies inside Town of Alfred

Town of Alfred does not set these itself; the county, a health district or the state does, and they apply to every address inside its limits.

• Who permits septicCounty (with conditions)

  On-site septic approval for construction inside the Town of Alfred.

  • The Town requires proof of approval by the Allegany County Health Department before issuing a building permit.

  “Permits are issued for the installation of new or replacement systems”

• Septic permitRequired

  Construction, installation, connection, alteration, or extension of an individual sewage disposal system for property inside the Town of Alfred.

  • A written permit from the Allegany County Public Health Director must be received before work begins.
  • Town building-permit issuance additionally requires proof of approval by the Allegany County Health Department.

  “without having filed for and received a written permit”

• Septic inspectionRequired

  Permitted on-site wastewater-system installations for property inside the Town of Alfred.

  • The installation must be inspected near completion and before covering.
  • At least 24 hours' notice is required before final inspection.

  final-inspection notice: >= 24 hours

  “PRIOR TO COVERING, must be inspected by this department”

• Off-grid sanitationLimited

  A residence inside the Town of Alfred where no approved public or municipal sanitary sewerage system is available.

  • The residence must have an individual sewage disposal system.
  • Installation, connection, alteration, or extension requires a written permit from the Allegany County Public Health Director.

  “where no approved public or municipal sanitary sewerage system is available”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residential construction inside the Town of Alfred.
• Building code adopted — Building-code adoption for land inside the Town of Alfred.
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy for structures inside the Town of Alfred.
• Minimum dwelling size — Dwelling floor area inside the Town of Alfred.
• Living in an RV — Long-term recreational-vehicle occupancy on private land inside the Town of Alfred.

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.