Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Binghamton, New York

Binghamton’s own rules

• Local zoningPresent

  Land inside the City of Binghamton (Broome County), governed by Chapter 410, Zoning

  • Uses not listed in Schedule I are not permitted in residential districts unless the ZBA interprets them as similar to a listed use.

  “a land use which is not set forth in schedule i (§ 410-27) is not permitted in residential districts in the city of binghamton. notwithstanding the above, unlisted uses which are interpreted by the zoning board of appeals to be similar to those which are listed by district in schedule i (§ 410-27) may be processed in accordance with the appropriate provisions of this chapter.”

• Zoning districtsPublished

  Residential zoning districts R-1, R-2, R-3 inside Binghamton city; non-residential districts not reviewed

  • Urban village overlay district also exists (§ 410-27.1).

  “§ 410-28. schedule ia: bulk requirements in residential zoning districts. the following bulk requirements apply to residential zoning districts: r-1 r-2 r-3”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  R-1 single-unit residential district inside Binghamton city (R-2 and R-3 also 2,500 sq ft for one unit); no agricultural district identified

  • Planning department may reduce minimum lot area by up to 10% for one-to-three-unit dwellings; undersized lots of record may be used if setbacks, parking, density and street access are met.

  minimum lot area, one unit: 2500 square feet · minimum lot width, one unit: 50 feet

  “min. lot area (square feet) one unit 2,500 2,500 2,500 two units - 2,500 2,500”

• SetbacksSpecified

  R-1 single-unit residential district inside Binghamton city (R-2: front 10, rear 15; R-3: front 5, rear 20)

  • Planning department may reduce setbacks by up to 25% for one-to-three-unit dwellings; front yard need not exceed average of two adjacent properties.

  front setback R-1: 15 feet · rear setback R-1: 15 feet · side setback minimum/total R-1: 5 / 15 feet

  “front setback (feet) 15 10 5 rear setback (feet) 15 15 20 one side minimum / total side setback (feet) 5 / 15 5 / 15 5 / 15”

• Lot coverageSpecified

  R-1 residential district inside Binghamton city (R-2 70%, R-3 90%)

  maximum lot coverage R-1: <= 50 percent

  “maximum lot coverage 50% 70% 90% maximum building height (feet) 35 35 60”

• Building heightSpecified

  R-1 residential district inside Binghamton city (R-2 35 ft, R-3 60 ft)

  • Height limits do not apply to chimneys, spires, antennas, solar and mechanical equipment and similar features (§ 410-15).

  maximum building height R-1: <= 35 feet

  “maximum lot coverage 50% 70% 90% maximum building height (feet) 35 35 60”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Binghamton or Broome County directly.

• Building permit — Binghamton city
• Owner-builder exemption — Binghamton city
• Building code adopted — Binghamton city
• Inspections — Binghamton city
• Certificate of occupancy — Binghamton city

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.