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

Town of Stuyvesant’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Projects requiring a building permit under the State Code inside the Town of Stuyvesant.

  • Applicants requesting a zoning permit or certificate of zoning compliance must contact the Building Inspector for necessary State-Code building permits.

  “Additional application procedures and submittal requirements may be applicable to a proposed project. All applicants requesting a Zoning Permit or Certificate of Zoning Compliance shall also contact the Building Inspector for the necessary Building Permits and Certificates of Occupancy pursuant to the State Code.”

• Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

  Construction inside the Town of Stuyvesant, Columbia County, New York.

  • The Town Code Enforcement Officer administers and enforces the state code.

  “In addition to the above required Zoning Permit and Certificate of Zoning Compliance, the Town of Stuyvesant has adopted and enforces the New York State Fire Prevention and Building Code. This code is administered and enforced the Town of Stuyvesant Code Enforcement Officer.”

• InspectionsRequired

  New construction under a building permit inside the Town of Stuyvesant.

  • After completion of footings and establishment of forms for the first course of foundation walls, the applicant or owner must notify the Code Enforcement Officer.
  • The officer may require a licensed-surveyor foundation-location survey before construction continues if plan compliance cannot be verified.

  “Where the building permit involves new construction, after completion of the footings and establishing the forms for the first course of the foundation walls, the applicant/owner shall notify the C.E.O. After such notification, the C.E.O. shall inspect the site to ensure that the construction is occurring the location shown on the plot plan submitted with the approved application.”

• Certificate of occupancyRequired

  Projects requiring a certificate of occupancy under the State Code inside the Town of Stuyvesant.

  • Applicants seeking a zoning permit or zoning-compliance certificate must contact the Building Inspector for necessary State-Code certificates of occupancy.

  “Additional application procedures and submittal requirements may be applicable to a proposed project. All applicants requesting a Zoning Permit or Certificate of Zoning Compliance shall also contact the Building Inspector for the necessary Building Permits and Certificates of Occupancy pursuant to the State Code.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside the Town of Stuyvesant, Columbia County, New York.

  • The town's zoning law divides the town into districts.

  “In order to carry out the purpose of this ordinance as described in Section 1 and to achieve the goals as identified in the Town’s Comprehensive Plan, the Town of Stuyvesant is divided into the following Districts:”

• Building in a floodplainRequired

  Construction, alteration, relocation, conversion, excavation, or filling in FEMA-designated flood areas inside the Town of Stuyvesant.

  • All Flood Damage Prevention Local Law requirements must be complied with in addition to other requirements in the zoning law.

  “This local law regulates the construction, alteration, relocation or conversion of uses within structures located within the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s designated flood areas and further regulates the excavation or filling of land areas within these designated flood areas. All of the requirements outlined in this local law must be complied with in addition to other requirements found in this local zoning law.”

• Permit feesVariable (with conditions)

  Zoning permits inside the Town of Stuyvesant.

  • The amount is determined by Town Board resolution.

  “Zoning Permit Fees The applicant for a Zoning Permit shall include a check made payable to the Town of Stuyvesant in the amount required, as determined by the Town Board by resolution.”

• Permit processPartial

  Zoning-permit and zoning-compliance applications inside the Town of Stuyvesant.

  • Additional application procedures and submittal requirements may apply.
  • Applicants must also contact the Building Inspector for necessary State-Code permits and certificates of occupancy.

  “Additional application procedures and submittal requirements may be applicable to a proposed project. All applicants requesting a Zoning Permit or Certificate of Zoning Compliance shall also contact the Building Inspector for the necessary Building Permits and Certificates of Occupancy pursuant to the State Code.”

Rules another office applies inside Town of Stuyvesant

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

• Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Lots in the H-1 and H-2 Hamlet districts inside the Town of Stuyvesant.

  • Minimum lot size is determined by the Columbia County Health Department.
  • The schedule states that a minimum lot size including a 30-foot by 50-foot residence would be 150 feet wide by 120 feet deep, or 0.41 acres.

  illustrative minimum lot size: 0.41 acres (including a 30-foot by 50-foot residence)

  “To be determined by the Columbia County Health Department. In the “H-1” and “H-2” zones the minimum lot size including a 30’ x 50’ residence, would be 150’ wide x 120’ deep or .41 acres.”

• Septic inspectionRequired

  Temporary health- or age-related residences using on-lot systems inside the Town of Stuyvesant.

  • The rule applies whether a second series of systems is established or existing facilities are used.

  “The Columbia County Health Department shall inspect and approve the on-lot septic and water supply, whether a second series of systems are established or whether the existing facilities are being used.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Open-development subdivisions in the H-1, H-2, and Hamlet Extension districts inside the Town of Stuyvesant.

  • The Planning Board has sole discretion to approve qualifying subdivisions served by a right-of-way or easement.
  • Each parcel is limited to one single-family residence and must exceed 200 percent of the Health Department's minimum parcel size.
  • An improved driveway must be shown on the plat and installed before a building permit issues.

  minimum parcel size: > 200 percent of Health Department minimum parcel size (each created parcel)

  “The Town of Stuyvesant Planning Board is hereby authorized, in its sole discretion, to approve subdivisions in the Hamlet 1 (H-1 and H-2) and Hamlet Extension Districts of the Town of Stuyvesant that result in one or more parcels that are served not by a public or private road or street but by a right of way or an easement, subject to the following conditions:”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residences inside the Town of Stuyvesant.
• Minimum dwelling size — Dwellings inside the Town of Stuyvesant.
• Living in an RV — RV occupancy on private land inside the Town of Stuyvesant.
• Camping on your land — Temporary camping on private land inside the Town of Stuyvesant.
• Tiny homes — Tiny-home occupancy inside the Town of Stuyvesant.

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.