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

Town of Aurelius’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Buildings erected or altered, primary-use changes, and clearing, grading, or excavation for a building or use inside Aurelius.

  • A zoning permit must be issued by the CEO/ZEO before the listed work begins.
  • The permit must comply with the zoning chapter and Building Code of New York State.

  “No building shall be erected or altered and no change in the primary use of a property initiated and no clearing, grading or excavation for any building or use shall begin unless and until a zoning permit for such work has been issued by the CEO/ZEO”

• InspectionsLimited

  Multi-family residential rental units inside Aurelius; separate inspection requirements may apply to other uses.

  • CEO/ZEO has the right to inspect all multi-family residential rental units annually.
  • An interim inspection may be requested with 15 business days' advance notification to the owner.

  annual inspection: per 1 per year (Multi-family residential rental units.) · advance notification: >= 15 business days (Before an interim inspection requested by the CEO/ZEO.)

  “The CEO/ZEO shall have the right to inspect all multi-family residential rental units in the Town of Aurelius annually.”

• Certificate of occupancyRequired

  New, altered, moved, or extended buildings; changed building or land uses; and vacant-land occupancy inside Aurelius.

  • Agricultural use consisting primarily of tilling soil or similar agricultural use is excepted from the vacant-land and land-use provisions.
  • CEO/ZEO inspects each building or lot for which a certificate is applied before issuance.

  “A certificate of occupancy is required for any of the following: 1. Occupancy and use of a building hereafter erected, altered, moved or extended. 2. Change in the use of an existing building.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside the Town of Aurelius, Cayuga County, New York.

  • Land use is subject to the town zoning districts and associated review requirements.

  “For the purpose of this chapter, the Town of Aurelius is hereby divided into the following types of districts:”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Town zoning districts inside Aurelius.

  • The zoning law enumerates Agricultural, Agricultural Residential, Rural Hamlet, Residential, Commercial, Industrial, and additional overlay or specialized districts.

  “A Agricultural Zoning District AR Agricultural Residential Zoning District RH Rural Hamlet Zoning District R Residential Zoning District C Commercial Zoning District I Industrial Zoning District”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Subdivision proposals inside Aurelius.

  • County planning document reports Town subdivision regulations adopted in 1990.
  • The town may define subdivision for its local subdivision-review procedure.

  “Subdivision Regulations Yes 1990 town Planning”

• Short-term rentalsLimited

  Short-term rental of a dwelling unit or portion of one inside Aurelius.

  • A short-term rental is less than 30 consecutive days, including consecutive terms to the same tenants.
  • Allowed only by Planning Board special permit in a district allowing a dwelling unit.
  • Special permit governs maximum guests, bedrooms, parking, and hosted or un-hosted guests.
  • Property is subject to annual CEO inspection unless waived in writing for a given year.

  short-term rental duration: < 30 consecutive days (Consecutive terms to the same tenant are included.)

  “A short-term rental is allowed by special permit in any district that allows a dwelling unit. Prior to using a dwelling unit as a short-term rental, a property owner must obtain a special permit from the Planning Board pursuant to Article XVI of this Code.”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Town zoning-permit applications inside Aurelius.

  • Applications are submitted in triplicate on CEO-provided forms.
  • Application must provide information necessary for compliance review; CEO/ZEO may require reasonable additional information.

  application copies: 3 copies (Zoning-permit applications.)

  “Applications for zoning permits shall be submitted in triplicate on a form or forms provided by the Code Enforcement Officer.”

Rules another office applies inside Town of Aurelius

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

• Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

  Uniform Code administration within the Town of Aurelius municipal boundaries.

  • County planning document identifies the Town code officer as responsible.
  • The document describes the NYS Uniform and Energy Code 2020; current code editions should be confirmed with the Code Enforcement Officer.

  “Building Code Yes [...] town Code officer”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  One-family and two-family residential structures and uses in the Agricultural Zoning District (A) inside Aurelius.

  • The Agricultural District's stated minimum residential lot size is 80,000 square feet.
  • County Health Department requirements supersede zoning dimensional requirements for development lots under one acre not served by public sewer.

  minimum lot area: 80000 square feet (One-family and two-family residential structures and uses in Agricultural District (A).)

  “Area, minimum (square feet) 80,000 s.f. 80,000”

• SetbacksSpecified

  One-family and two-family residential structures in the Agricultural Zoning District (A) inside Aurelius.

  • Front-yard measurement is from the road right-of-way line unless the Highway Overlay applies.
  • The table separately regulates principal and accessory structures.

  front yard setback: 50 feet (One-family and two-family structures; subject to Highway Overlay.) · side yard setback, one side: 25 feet (One-family and two-family structures.) · rear yard setback, principal structure: 35 feet (One-family and two-family structures.)

  “Front yard setback 50 50 [...] One Side (feet) 25 25 [...] Principal structure (feet) 35 35”

• Building heightSpecified

  One-family and two-family residential structures in the Agricultural Zoning District (A) inside Aurelius.

  maximum height: 35 feet (One-family and two-family structures in Agricultural District (A).)

  “Rear yard setback Principal structure (feet) 35 35 [...] Accessory Structure (feet) 20 20 [...] Maximum Height (feet) 35 35”

• Camping on your landLimited

  Private recreational campsites in the Agricultural Zoning District (A) inside Aurelius.

  • Private recreational campsites are listed as uses permitted upon issuance of a special permit.
  • Uses not expressly permitted by right, site-plan review, or special permit are not permitted in the Agricultural District.

  “Uses permitted upon issuance of special permit are as follows [...] Private recreational campsites.”

• Who permits septicCounty (with conditions)

  Wastewater treatment systems inside Aurelius, which is expressly listed among Cayuga County properties in the county sanitary-code inspection schedule.

  • The county Health Department reviews plans and accepts construction or modification before construction.
  • Town zoning also directs temporary mobile-home sanitary facilities to the Cayuga County Sanitary Code.

  ““Health District” means the Cayuga County Health District (the entire area of Cayuga County) established pursuant to the New York State Public Health Law.”

• Septic permitRequired

  Construction of a new wastewater treatment system or modification of an existing system inside Aurelius.

  • Cayuga County Health Department plan review and acceptance are required before construction.
  • New systems must meet 10 NYCRR Appendix 75-A of Part 75 or obtain a variance.
  • Septic-tank replacement only requires written notification, including date, size, fee, and conditions, rather than a formally prepared plan.

  “No person shall build, erect, construct, expand, repair, modify, enlarge or convert to another use any structure or system that will or may increase the amount of wastewater that is generated [...] without obtaining the requisite approval and permits from the County Health Department.”

• Septic inspectionRequired

  Wastewater treatment systems on properties in the Town of Aurelius.

  • Aurelius is listed in the all-other-properties schedule: 2003 and every seven years thereafter.
  • All wastewater treatment systems require a completed inspection report and a permit to discharge.

  inspection interval: per 7 years (All other properties in Cayuga County, including properties in the Town of Aurelius.)

  “All wastewater treatment systems must have a completed inspection report and a permit to discharge. [...] 2003 and every 7 years thereafter Properties within the Towns of: Aurelius”

• Off-grid sanitationLimited

  Private wastewater treatment systems inside Aurelius.

  • The system cannot discharge wastewater or sewage to the ground surface.
  • A completed inspection report and permit to discharge are required.
  • New systems require county plan review and acceptance before construction.

  “No person shall operate a wastewater treatment system or occupy a building which is serviced by a wastewater treatment system within Cayuga County when such system discharges wastewater or sewage to the surface of the ground.”

• Agricultural exemptionAvailable (with conditions)

  Farms in the Agricultural Zoning District (A) inside Aurelius.

  • The provision exempts farms from zoning or site-plan approvals in agricultural zoning districts.
  • It does not establish exemption from state, county health, building-code, or other applicable requirements.

  “Farms are exempt from the requirements of obtaining zoning or site plan approvals in agricultural zoning districts.”

• Driveway accessLimited

  Driveway access along designated arterial or collector highways inside Aurelius.

  • Arterial rule applies to lots abutting designated highways.
  • Collector-road rule applies to listed collector highways.
  • Highway-overlay exceptions and other zoning requirements may apply.

  arterial intersection clearance: >= 200 feet (Driveway access on designated arterial highways.) · collector intersection clearance: >= 150 feet (Driveway access on designated collector roads.)

  “Driveway access shall not be located within 200.0 feet of the centerlines of intersecting roads. [...] Driveway access shall not be located within 150.0’ of the centerlines of intersecting roads.”

• Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

  County sanitary-code wastewater permits and registrations applicable inside Aurelius.

  • The listed construction-permit fee is tied to compliance with Section III(B).
  • The discharge-permit fee stated in the schedule is $0.00.

  construction permit fee: 75 USD (Construction permit needed to comply with Section III(B).) · discharge permit fee: 0 USD (Discharge permit to comply with Section III(A) and Section V(B).)

  “1. Construction permit needed to comply with Section III, B. $ 75.00 [...] 5. Discharge Permit to comply with Section III-A and Section V-B $ 0.00”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner construction of a residence inside Aurelius.
• Minimum dwelling size — Residential dwellings inside Aurelius.
• Living in an RV — RV occupancy on private land inside Aurelius.
• Manufactured homes — Manufactured-home occupancy on private land inside Aurelius.
• Accessory dwellings — Accessory dwelling units inside Aurelius.

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.