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

Village of Sherman’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Occupying a structure or land; erecting, altering, enlarging, moving or demolishing a structure; changing use, inside Sherman village

  • Zoning permit required except as specifically exempted (village posts a building permit exemptions list, not reviewed)

  “the regulations of this law shall apply and shall require a zoning permit (except as specifically exempted) for the following situations:”

• Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

  Structures inside Sherman village; zoning law requires compliance with the NYS Uniform Fire & Building Code

  • Compliance required before occupancy

  “no structure shall be erected, altered, or used unless it complies with the new york state uniform fire & building code.”

• Local zoningPresent

  Land inside Sherman village, Chautauqua County

  • Zoning law filed with NYDOS May 8, 2009; amended later (e.g. LL 4-2022, LL 1-2021 on solar section 619), amendments not reviewed

  “this local law shall be known and cited as the zoning law of the village of sherman.”

• Zoning districtsPublished

  Land inside Sherman village

  • Village also publishes a zoning map on its code enforcement page

  “residential (r1) district district commercial (c) district highway commercial (c2) district rural residential (r2) district”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  Single-family units in Residential District R1, Sherman village

  • Lot width minimum 100 ft; substandard lots (sec. 405) handled separately

  minimum lot size: >= 15000 sq ft (see section 405 substandard sized lots)

  “minimum lot size (square feet) [...] 15,000”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — Single-family units in Rural Residential District R2, Sherman village

    “minimum lot size (square feet) [...] 15,000”

• Who permits septicMixed (with conditions)

  Parcels inside Sherman village not served by municipal sewer or water

  • Applies only in areas not served by municipal sewer or water systems

  “in areas not served by municipal sewer or water systems, the regulations of the state and county and local health departments with respect to water supply and sewage disposal facilities will apply.”

• Septic permitLimited

  Building or zoning permit applicants inside Sherman village where health department permits apply

  • Copy of required health department permits must be attached for local approval
  • Only where not served by municipal sewer or water

  “the applicant for a building or zoning permit must obtain a copy of the required health department permits for attachment of local approval.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Land inside Sherman village

  • State and local subdivision laws apply in addition to the zoning law

  “state and existing local subdivision laws must be complied with in addition to this zoning law.”

• Driveway accessLimited

  Driveways or other right-of-way activity inside Sherman village

  • Wording is advisory ('should be contacted'); sections 501 and 509 not opened

  “the appropriate highway superintendent should be contacted prior to constructing a driveway or any other activity involving a highway right-of-way.”

• Building in a floodplainLimited

  Parcels in the flood plain inside Sherman village

  • Only parcels located within the flood plain on official flood insurance maps

  “it shall be the responsibility of the applicant for a zoning/building permit to insure that the national flood insurance regulations in addition to zoning regulations shall be complied with”

• Permit feesPublished

  Building and zoning permits inside Sherman village

  • Schedule last revised by Res 2023-07-12.5
  • Fees calculated by Enforcement Officer, collected by Clerk-Treasurer
  • New construction minimum $30 plus per-sq-ft charge for residential

  “village of sherman - bldg code & zoning fee schedule calculated by enforcement officer of code & zoning collected by clerk-treasurer”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built homes inside Sherman village
• Inspections — Construction inside Sherman village
• Certificate of occupancy — New construction inside Sherman village
• Living in an RV — RV occupancy inside Sherman village
• Camping on your land — Inside Sherman 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.