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

Town of Great Valley’s own rules

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside the Town of Great Valley, Cattaraugus County, New York.

  • The town's Planning/Zoning page links to its Zoning Laws and Zoning Map.

  “Town Planning & Zoning Board [...] Zoning Laws [...] Zoning Map”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Cluster-subdivision applications in all Great Valley zoning districts.

  • Planning Board approval is part of subdivision review under the Town's Land Division Regulations; the proposed density cannot exceed the conventional conforming layout density.

  “the Town of Great Valley Planning Board is hereby authorized to approve cluster subdivisions in all zoning districts, as part of its review of subdivision applications pursuant to the Town’s Land Division Regulations.”

• Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

  Building, planning, and zoning applications inside Great Valley town.

  • Building construction begun without a permit has doubled fees.
  • The planning and zoning fee schedule states it was effective January 1, 2019.

  residential new-construction fee: per 0.35 USD per square foot (Plus inspection fees.) · residential inspection fee: per 25 USD per inspection · floodplain development permit fee: 50 USD

  “New Construction $.35/sq. ft. + inspection fees [...] Residential $25.00 per inspection [...] Flood Plain Development Permit $50.00 [...] Fees will be doubled for construction that begins without a permit.”

• Permit processPartial

  Manufactured or mobile-home building-permit applications inside Great Valley town.

  • Before building-permit issuance, the applicant must obtain water-supply and sanitary-sewerage-disposal approvals from the County Health Department or other agency having jurisdiction.

  “Prior to the issuance of a building permit, the applicant shall provide approvals from the Cattaraugus County Health Department, or other agency having jurisdiction, that adequate provision has been made for water supply and sanitary sewerage disposal.”

Rules another office applies inside Town of Great Valley

Town of Great Valley 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)

  Onsite wastewater treatment systems inside Great Valley town, which is in Cattaraugus County.

  • Systems are regulated under NYS standards and specifications in effect at construction.

  “Onsite wastewater treatment systems in Cattaraugus County are regulated by the Environmental Health Division in accordance with NYS standards and specifications”

• Septic permitRequired

  Onsite wastewater-treatment-system repairs or installations inside Great Valley town.

  • Commercial and other large systems with design flow of 1,000 gallons per day or greater also require a NYSDEC SPDES permit and a licensed Professional Engineer.
  • Permit is required before construction.

  large-system design flow: >= 1000 gallons per day (Also requires NYSDEC SPDES permit and licensed Professional Engineer.)

  “All onsite wastewater treatment system repairs or installations in Cattaraugus County require a permit issued by the Environmental Health Division prior to construction.”

• Septic inspectionRequired

  New or replacement onsite wastewater-treatment systems inside Great Valley town.

  • The post-construction inspection occurs before the system is covered; satisfactory work results in a Permit to Operate.

  “Once the system is constructed, the inspector will visit the site again to inspect the work before it is covered. If the construction is satisfactory, a "Permit to Operate an Onsite Wastewater Treatment System" will be issued.”

• Well permitNot required

  Private wells installed for private use inside Great Valley town.

  • New residential water sources are included in the residence's building permit.
  • A health-department waiver is required if a well meeting standards cannot be constructed.

  “However, you do NOT currently need a permit from the health department to install a well for private use. New residential water sources are part of your residence and are included in your building permit.”

Still unanswered

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

• Building permit — Residential construction inside Great Valley town.
• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built homes inside Great Valley town.
• Building code adopted — Construction inside Great Valley town.
• Inspections — Building work inside Great Valley town.
• Certificate of occupancy — Structures inside Great Valley town.

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.