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

Town of Frankfort’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Work in the Town of Frankfort that must conform to the Uniform Code and/or Energy Code.

  • Chapter 38 § 38-4 contains exemptions for enumerated categories of work; exempt work remains subject to applicable code requirements.
  • A permit becomes invalid unless work starts within six months and expires 12 months after issuance unless renewed.

  permit commencement deadline: 6 months after issuance · permit expiration: 12 months after issuance (May be renewed upon application, payment of applicable fee, and Code Enforcement Officer approval.)

  “No person shall commence any work for which a building permit is required without first having obtained a building permit from the Town.”

• Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

  Buildings, structures, and premises in the Town of Frankfort.

  • Except as otherwise provided in the Uniform Code, Energy Code, other state law, or Chapter 38.

  “administration and enforcement of the [...] Uniform Code”

• Certificate of occupancyRequired

  Work subject to a Town building permit and structures converted to another use or occupancy classification.

  • A certificate is issued by the Town after compliance with approved construction documents and suitability for occupancy are established.

  “Certificates of occupancy and certificates of compliance required.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside the Town of Frankfort, Herkimer County, New York.

  • Zoning provisions are administered through the Town Code and its designated enforcement officer.

  “[HISTORY: Adopted by the Town Board of the Town of Frankfort 4-21-1969. Amendments noted where applicable.]”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Zoning districts inside the Town of Frankfort.

  • The Chapter 88 code index identifies district regulations and an official Schedule A provides dimensional tables.

  “§ 88-8 R-A Residence-Agriculture District. [...] § 88-9 R-10 Residence District. [...] § 88-10 R-20 Residence District.”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  Individual mobile/manufactured homes in any Town of Frankfort zoning district.

  • Individual mobile homes require a Zoning Board of Appeals special permit and satisfaction of specified criteria.
  • For a temporary home during permanent-dwelling construction or reconstruction, the permit is one year and may be renewed once for no more than six months.
  • Agricultural employee homes require an operating farm, employee income of at least 75% from the farm, and location within 500 feet of the farm owner's principal dwelling.

  temporary permit term: 1 year (May be renewed for not more than one additional six-month period upon due cause shown.) · farm employee income: >= 75 percent of annual income (Must be derived from the farm.) · distance from farm owner's principal dwelling: <= 500 feet

  “special permit by the Zoning Board of Appeals [...] a one-year temporary permit [...] six months [...] minimum of 75% [...] within 500 feet”

• Who permits septicLocal (with conditions)

  Septic-system matters presented through the Town of Frankfort Codes Department.

  • The source establishes that the Town Codes Department publishes septic-system permit materials; the operative permit standard was not located.

  “Codes Enforcement Documents [...] Septic System Permit”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Subdivision plats and land subdivision inside the Town of Frankfort.

  • Planning Board approval or disapproval authority is pursuant to the Town Board resolution and applicable Town and highway laws.

  “All plats showing lots, blocks or sites with or without streets or highways; [...] and to control subdivisions.”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Building-permit applications in the Town of Frankfort.

  • Application must be in writing on a form provided by or acceptable to the Code Enforcement Officer and signed by the owner or authorized agent.
  • The application must contain enough information to determine Uniform Code and Energy Code compliance.

  “Applications for a building permit shall be made, in writing, on a form provided by or otherwise acceptable to the Code Enforcement Officer. The application shall be signed by the owner of the property where the work is to be performed or an authorized agent of the owner.”

Rules another office applies inside Town of Frankfort

Town of Frankfort 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 sizeSpecified

  One- or two-family dwellings in the R-A Residence-Agricultural District of the Town of Frankfort.

  minimum lot area: 1 acre (One- or two-family dwelling.) · minimum lot width: 150 feet (One- or two-family dwelling.)

  “Area [...] Width [...] One- or two-family dwelling. 1 acre 150”

• SetbacksSpecified

  One- or two-family dwellings in the R-A Residence-Agricultural District of the Town of Frankfort.

  minimum front yard: 30 feet · minimum side yard, either: 25 feet · minimum side yards, total: 50 feet · minimum rear yard: 50 feet

  “Front Either Total Rear [...] 30 25 50 50”

• Building heightSpecified

  One- or two-family dwellings in the R-A Residence-Agricultural District of the Town of Frankfort.

  maximum building height: <= 35 feet

  “Building Height Maximum [...] Feet [...] 35”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residential work in the Town of Frankfort.
• Inspections — Construction in the Town of Frankfort.
• Minimum dwelling size — One- or two-family dwellings in the R-A Residence-Agricultural District of the Town of Frankfort.
• Lot coverage — One- or two-family dwellings in the R-A Residence-Agricultural District of the Town of Frankfort.
• Living in an RV — Residential occupancy of recreational vehicles on private land in the Town of Frankfort.

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.