Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Village of Union Springs, New York

Village of Union Springs’s own rules

• Building code adoptedAdopted

  Construction inside Union Springs village

  • Village local law enforces NYS Uniform Code and Energy Code
  • Cites the 2020 Residential Code of NYS

  “this local law provides for the administration and enforcement of the new york state uniform fire prevention and building code (the uniform code) and the state energy conservation construction code (the energy code) in this village.”

• InspectionsRequired

  Permitted construction and changes of use inside Union Springs village

  • Zoning permit is not permanently effective until the zoning officer notes the work was inspected and approved

  “no permit shall be considered complete or permanently effective until the zoning officer has noted on the permit that the work or occupancy and use has been inspected and approved as being in conformity with the provisions of this law.”

• Certificate of occupancyRequired

  Buildings erected, installed, altered, extended or changed in use inside Union Springs village

  • Issued by the zoning officer after compliance with the zoning law and other village laws

  “no land shall be used or occupied and no building hereafter erected, installed, altered or extended, shall be used or changed in use until a certificate of occupancy shall have been issued by the zoning officer”

• Local zoningPresent

  All land inside Union Springs village (Cayuga County)

  • Administered by the zoning officer/code enforcement officer appointed by the village board
  • Zoning permit required before erecting, moving or changing use of structures

  “such law is made under and pursuant to article 16 of the village law of the state of new york to promote the health, safety, and general welfare of the community”

• Zoning districtsPublished

  Zoning districts inside Union Springs village: AR, RR, R, LR, HB, C, NC, WC, P, PD and F

  • Official zoning map is Appendix II

  “6-1 agricultural residential (ar) zoning district 27 6-2 rural residential (rr) zoning district 29 6-3 residential (r) zoning district 31”

• Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Table of dimensional requirements, 7-1. Columns run in the order AR, RR, R, LR, HB, C, NC, WC, P, PD, F. Agricultural Residential (AR) is 20,000 sq ft; Rural Residential (RR) is 30,000; Residential (R) is 7,500.

  • Minimum road frontage: AR 100 ft, RR 150 ft, R 60 ft
  • Column order inferred from the table header

  AR minimum lot size: >= 20000 sq ft · RR minimum lot size: >= 30000 sq ft · R minimum lot size: >= 7500 sq ft

  “(1) minimum lot size is twenty-thousand (20,000) square feet.”

• SetbacksDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Minimum front/side/rear yards by district, 7-1 table. Per the district order, AR reads 30/10/30 ft, RR 30/20/30 ft, R 20/10/10 ft.

  • The PDF flattens the table; the parsing into front/side/rear columns is inferred and should be checked against the PDF

  minimum yards, front/side/rear in district order: AR 30/10/30; RR 30/20/30; R 20/10/10 ft

  “a. front yard setback: thirty (30) feet b. side yard setback: ten (10) feet c. rear yard setback: thirty (30) feet”

• Lot coverageDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Maximum building coverage by district, 7-1 table: AR 30%, RR 30%, R 40%.

  • Column order inferred from the table header

  AR max building coverage: <= 30 % · RR max building coverage: <= 30 % · R max building coverage: <= 40 %

  “maximum building coverage 30% 30% 40% 40% 85% 35% 35% 35% n/a 35% n/a”

• Building heightDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Maximum building height in AR, RR and R districts (35 ft each), 7-1 table.

  • Column order inferred from the table header

  maximum building height in AR, RR, R: <= 35 ft

  “maximum building height (ft.) 35 35 35 35 35 35 35 35 n/a 35 n/a”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Subdivision of land inside Union Springs village

  • Article XVI has simple, minor and major subdivision procedures and a coordination step with the county health department
  • Details not read

  “article xvi subdivision regulations 119 16-1 authority for plat approval; compliance with policy 119 16-2 applicability and legal effects 119”

• Building in a floodplainRequired

  Construction in flood hazard areas inside Union Springs village

  • A Floodplain (F) zoning district exists (6-11)

  “shall require that any such proposed construction shall comply with fema regulations to mitigate flood damage.”

• Permit processPublished

  Zoning permit applications inside Union Springs village

  • Zoning permit expires if work is not commenced within six months; it has a two-year life

  “all applications for zoning permits shall be made in writing by the owner, tenant, vendee under contract of sale, or authorized agent on a form supplied by the village”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builders inside Union Springs village
• Minimum dwelling size — Single-family dwellings inside Union Springs village
• Living in an RV — RV occupancy inside Union Springs village
• Camping on your land — Temporary camping inside Union Springs village
• Tiny homes — Tiny homes inside Union Springs village

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.