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

Village of Horseheads’s own rules

• Local zoningPresent

  Land inside the Village of Horseheads (Chemung County), which administers its own zoning chapter (Chapter 245) with an R-1 One-Family Residential District

  • Special uses require Board of Trustees authorization after Planning Board review (§ 245-119)

  “the purpose of the r-1 one-family residential district is to delineate those areas where predominantly residential development has or will be likely to occur in accordance with the comprehensive plan for the village of horseheads.”

• Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

  Single-family dwellings in the R-1 District inside the Village of Horseheads

  • R-1 District only; other districts not reviewed

  minimum enclosed first-floor living area: >= 750 sq ft

  “b. in the r-1 district, a single-family dwelling shall consist of enclosed first-floor living area of at least 750 square feet.”

• Lot coverageSpecified

  R-1 One-Family Residential District inside the Village of Horseheads

  • R-1 District only

  maximum lot coverage by buildings or structures: <= 30 percent

  “in the r-1 district, not more than 30% of the area of any lot shall contain buildings or structures of any kind.”

• Building heightSpecified

  R-1 One-Family Residential District inside the Village of Horseheads

  • R-1 District only

  maximum height: <= 35 ft (or 2 1/2 stories)

  “a. in the r-1 district, no building or premises of any kind shall hereafter be erected or altered so that any part thereof shall be more than 35 feet or 2 1/2 stories above ground level.”

• Driveway accessRequired

  Driveways on real property in residential districts inside the Village of Horseheads

  • Curb cuts need review by the code enforcement officer and approval by the director of public works
  • Maximum one driveway opening per single-family dwelling
  • No opening within 50 feet of a public road intersection
  • Opening width 10 to 20 feet
  • Owner bears costs within the village right-of-way

  maximum driveway opening width: <= 20 ft · minimum driveway opening width: >= 10 ft

  “no person, owner of real property situated in a residential district, or contractor shall install a driveway without first applying for and obtaining a permit.”

Still unanswered

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

• Building permit — Inside Horseheads village
• Owner-builder exemption — Inside Horseheads village
• Building code adopted — Inside Horseheads village
• Inspections — Inside Horseheads village
• Certificate of occupancy — Inside Horseheads 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.