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

Town of Virgil’s own rules

• Building permitLimited

  Fence, pool, and roof projects inside the Town of Virgil.

  • The opened Town page specifically identifies fences, pools, and roofs; it does not establish every category of residential construction.

  “All Fences, Pools and Roof Projects need a permit”

• InspectionsRequired

  Projects using the Town's small-construction building-permit application inside Virgil.

  • Applicant must provide 24-hour notice for inspections.

  inspection notice: 24 hours

  “The undersigned grants the Town Building Inspector permission to enter upon the premises at all reasonable times for the purpose of making necessary inspections. Inspections require 24-hour notice by the applicant.”

• Certificate of occupancyRequired

  Occupancy under the Town's small-construction building-permit application.

  • Required upon occupying the premises.

  “Certificate of Occupancy is required upon occupying the premises.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside the Town of Virgil, Cortland County, New York.

  • The Town zoning law incorporates the official Town zoning map.

  “Virgil is hereby divided into the following types of districts, which shall be differentiated according to use and area and hereafter used and developed for the purposes designated:”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Zoning districts inside Virgil.

  • District boundaries and designations are on the official Town zoning map incorporated into the zoning law.

  districts: NR Neighborhood Residential; ARC Agricultural Residential Conservation; C Commercial; LI Light Industrial; PUD Planned Unit Development Overlay; AP Aquifer Protection Overlay; WP Wellhead Protection Overlay

  “NR - Neighborhood Residential District ARC - Agricultural Residential Conservation District C - Commercial District LI - Light Industrial PUD - Planned Unit Development Overlay District AP - Aquifer Protection Overlay District WP - Wellhead Protection Overlay District”

• Lot coverageDistrict specific (with conditions)

  NR Neighborhood Residential and ARC Agricultural Residential Conservation Districts inside Virgil.

  • The Table 3 NR standard is the same under its listed utility-service conditions.

  maximum lot coverage: 25 percent (NR and ARC districts)

  “Max. Lot Coverage (%) 25 25 25 [...] Max. Lot Coverage (%) 25”

• Building heightDistrict specific (with conditions)

  NR Neighborhood Residential and ARC Agricultural Residential Conservation Districts inside Virgil.

  • The Table 3 NR standard is the same under its listed utility-service conditions.

  maximum building height: 35 feet (NR and ARC districts)

  “Max. Building Height (feet) 35 35 35 [...] Max. Building Height (feet) 35”

• Living in an RVTemporary only (with conditions)

  Living or sleeping in a travel trailer, camper, tent trailer, tent, or motor home within Virgil.

  • Maximum 180 days per calendar year unless use is within a campground.
  • Units must be legally registered, licensed, and insured for road use.
  • Only one unit is permitted per deeded property.
  • Septic, water, and electrical connections must be to Code; generator use is only allowed during power outages.
  • A permit must be obtained from the Virgil Code Enforcement Officer.
  • Exceptions are temporary uses under § 617 and travel trailers owned and housed by permanent residents on their principal residential property.

  maximum occupancy: <= 180 days per calendar year (unless such use is carried on within a campground)

  “No person shall use or occupy any travel trailer (camper), tent trailer, tent, or motor home for living or sleeping quarters within Virgil for more than one hundred eighty (180) days per calendar year, unless such use is carried on within a campground.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Subdivision of land inside the Town of Virgil.

  “Town of Virgil [...] Other regulations in effect are Mobile Home Ordinance (accessory Farm Use), Site Plan Review, Subdivision Control”

• Driveway accessRequired

  Construction of any building inside Virgil.

  • The structure must have access from a public road.

  “No permit for the construction of any building shall be approved unless such structure has access from a public road.”

• Permit processPartial

  Small construction projects using the Town building-permit application.

  • Submit drawings showing building location relative to property lines.
  • Submit building plans and Energy Code compliance information needed to determine New York State Building Code compliance.

  “Submit drawings showing the location of the building on the lot in relation to the property lines. A set of Building Plans detailing: the foundation, framing, grade and species of lumber, Energy Code Compliance, sheathing, interior walls, stairs, windows and other information that may be necessary to determine compliance with the N.Y.S. Building Codes.”

Rules another office applies inside Town of Virgil

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

• SetbacksSpecified

  NR Neighborhood Residential District inside Virgil.

  • Same standards apply under each listed utility-service condition.

  minimum front setback: 50 feet · minimum side setback: 30 feet (each side) · minimum rear setback: 50 feet

  “Min. Front Setback (feet) 50 50 50 Min. Side Setback (feet) 30 (each) 30 (each) 30 (each) Min. Rear Setback (feet) 50 50 50”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — ARC Agricultural Residential Conservation District inside Virgil.

    “Min. Front Setback (feet) 50 Min. Side Setback (feet) 30 Min. Rear Setback (feet) 50”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residential construction inside Virgil.
• Building code adopted — Construction inside the Town of Virgil.
• Minimum dwelling size — Dwellings inside Virgil.
• Camping on your land — Temporary camping on private land inside Virgil.
• Tiny homes — Tiny homes used as dwellings inside Virgil.

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.