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

Village of Kinderhook’s own rules

• Local zoningPresent

  All land inside Kinderhook village (Columbia County, NY); the village adopts and administers its own zoning chapter

  • Chapter 130 includes a zoning map, density control schedule, zoning board of appeals and planning board site plan review

  “chapter 130 zoning [history: adopted by the board of trustees of the village of kinderhook 1-11-1972 by l.l. no. 1-1972 (ch. 97 of the 1978 code). amendments noted where applicable.]”

• Zoning districtsPublished

  Zoning districts inside Kinderhook village: F-1, A, AR, R-1, R, B-1, B-2 base districts plus F-2 and H overlays

  • Seven base districts and two overlay zones are listed in section 130-3
  • Zoning map is attached to chapter 130

  “a density of one dwelling unit per 40,000 square feet is hereby established.”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  R residential district inside Kinderhook village (density expressed as lot area per dwelling unit)

  • Expressed as density of one dwelling unit per 20,000 sq ft
  • Full density control schedule not read

  area per dwelling unit, R district: 20000 sq ft

  “a density of one dwelling unit per 20,000 square feet is hereby established.”

  2 more reviewed findings on this topic

  • Specified — R-1 residential district inside Kinderhook village (density expressed as lot area per dwelling unit)

    “a density of one dwelling unit per 40,000 square feet is hereby established.”

  • Specified — A agricultural district inside Kinderhook village (density expressed as lot area per dwelling unit)

    “a density of one dwelling unit per 120,000 square feet is established.”

• Living in an RVTemporary only (with conditions)

  Occupied camping/travel trailers or motor coaches on residential lots inside Kinderhook village

  • Only in the rear yard
  • Not closer to side lot line than the required side yard and not closer than 10 feet to the rear lot line
  • Temporary means not longer than 30 days in any year

  temporary occupancy limit: <= 30 days per year

  “for the purposes of this chapter, "temporary" shall mean not longer than 30 days in any year.”

• Manufactured homesProhibited

  Mobile homes in all zoning districts inside Kinderhook village

  • Text says mobile homes; whether HUD-code manufactured homes are treated the same was not confirmed

  “a. mobile homes are specifically prohibited in all zoning districts.”

• Who permits septicMixed (with conditions)

  Sewage disposal for new buildings inside Kinderhook village

  • Village code points to village regulations, the Columbia County Department of Health and other governmental authorities

  “in accordance with applicable regulations of the village, the columbia county department of health and other governmental authorities.”

• Short-term rentalsLimited

  Hosted and nonhosted short-term rentals inside Kinderhook village

  • Requires a short-term rental permit filed with the code enforcement officer with a nonrefundable fee
  • Code enforcement officer has 30 days to inspect
  • Planning board site plan review required before permit issuance
  • Proof of property and liability insurance required
  • Added by L.L. No. 3-2023

  nonhosted rental cap: <= 60 days per calendar year

  “nonhosted short-term rentals are limited to 60 days in any one calendar year.”

Still unanswered

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

• Building permit — Building permits inside Kinderhook village
• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption inside Kinderhook village
• Building code adopted — Building code inside Kinderhook village
• Inspections — Building inspections inside Kinderhook village
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificates of occupancy inside Kinderhook 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.