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

Town of Seward’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Commercial, residential, and agricultural structures inside the Town of Seward.

  • Non-structural or non-mechanical-system repairs to non-residential buildings are the stated exemption.

  “Building Permit - All structures -- commercial, residential and agricultural, must have a New York State Uniform Fire Prevention Building Code permit. 1. The only exemptions are non-structural or non-mechanical system repairs to non-residential buildings.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside the Town of Seward, Schoharie County, New York.

  • Land-use controls apply to construction, installation, alteration, changes in use, and land used or occupied in the Town.

  “These Regulations shall apply to the construction, installation or alteration of any building, structure or appurtenant system, any change in use, and any lot, plot or parcel of land used, occupied or otherwise maintained as herein provided for in the Town of Seward.”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Land inside the Town of Seward.

  • The Town also provides for creation of a Planned Development District for the listed districts.

  “For these purposes, the Town of Seward is divided into the following districts: R Residential District R-A Residential-Agricultural District O-S Open-Space District F-H Flood Hazard (Overlay) District. B. Provision is also made for the creation of a Planned Development District for any of the above Districts.”

• Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Lots in the Town of Seward's zoning districts.

  • The code states that minimum lot area is specified in Attachment I, the Zoning Schedule; numeric district values were not extracted from the opened schedule.

  “Regulations governing minimum lot area and lot width; required front, side and rear yards; and maximum building coverage and building height are specified in Attachment I, subject to such additional standards as may be set forth in these Regulations.”

• SetbacksDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Lots in the Town of Seward's zoning districts.

  • Front, side, and rear yard requirements are stated to be in Attachment I, the Zoning Schedule; numeric district values were not extracted from the opened schedule.

  “Regulations governing minimum lot area and lot width; required front, side and rear yards; and maximum building coverage and building height are specified in Attachment I, subject to such additional standards as may be set forth in these Regulations.”

• Lot coverageDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Lots in the Town of Seward's zoning districts.

  • Maximum building coverage is stated to be in Attachment I, the Zoning Schedule; numeric district values were not extracted from the opened schedule.

  “Regulations governing minimum lot area and lot width; required front, side and rear yards; and maximum building coverage and building height are specified in Attachment I, subject to such additional standards as may be set forth in these Regulations.”

• Building heightDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Buildings in the Town of Seward's zoning districts.

  • Maximum building height is stated to be in Attachment I, the Zoning Schedule; numeric district values were not extracted from the opened schedule.

  “Regulations governing minimum lot area and lot width; required front, side and rear yards; and maximum building coverage and building height are specified in Attachment I, subject to such additional standards as may be set forth in these Regulations.”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  Mobile/manufactured homes inside the Town of Seward.

  • Double-wides and modulars are permitted throughout Town; single-wide mobile homes are not allowed outside mobile-home parks; mobile homes may not be placed in the R District.

  “Double-wides and modulars are permitted throughout the Town. [...] No single wide mobile homes are allowed outside mobile home parks. [...] No mobile home shall be placed in an R district.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Subdivision plats inside the Town of Seward.

  • The Land Use Code includes a subdivision-regulations article and procedures for sketch plans, preliminary plats, and subdivision plats.

  “the Planning Board of the Town of Seward is authorized and empowered to approve Plats showing lots, blocks or sites, with or without streets or highways, to approve the development of entirely or partially undeveloped plats already filed in the office of the clerk of the county and to approve preliminary plats, within the Town of Seward.”

• Building in a floodplainRequired

  Proposed projects in a flood plain inside the Town of Seward.

  • An Elevation Certificate is required when the proposed project is in a flood plain.

  “10. ______ Flood Plain Permit, if applicable”

• Permit feesVariable (with conditions)

  Permits and procedures under the Town of Seward zoning regulations.

  • The schedule is established by the Town Board; no dollar schedule was located in the opened official material.

  “Fees - A schedule of fees for permits and procedures under these Regulations shall be as established by the Town Board.”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Land Use Permit applications inside the Town of Seward.

  • Applicants submit two scaled layout or plot plans; the Enforcement Officer issues, refuses, or requests additional information or referral within 10 days; approval is subject to the Town Board-established fee; the permit is valid one year unless extended by the Board of Appeals.

  determination period: <= 10 days (From receipt of the application.) · permit validity: 1 year (Unless the Board of Appeals authorizes an extension.)

  “The Enforcement Officer shall issue or refuse to issue the applied for Land Use Permit, or advise the applicant of any required additional information or referral required within ten (10) days of receipt of the application. [...] A Land Use Permit issued under these Regulations shall be valid for a period of one (1) year from the date of issuance”

Rules another office applies inside Town of Seward

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

• Who permits septicCounty (with conditions)

  Sewage-disposal systems submitted with building applications inside the Town of Seward.

  • The Town application requires a County Department of Health sewage-disposal-system permit when applicable and requires the system's Certificate of Compliance before the Town issues a Certificate of Occupancy.

  “If applicable, a sewage disposal system permit, issued by the Schoharie County Department of Health shall be submitted with this application.”

• Septic permitLimited

  Sewage-disposal systems associated with a Town of Seward building-permit application.

  • The permit is required only 'if applicable'; it must be issued by the Schoharie County Department of Health and submitted with the Town application.

  “If applicable, a sewage disposal system permit, issued by the Schoharie County Department of Health shall be submitted with this application.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residential construction inside the Town of Seward.
• Minimum dwelling size — Dwellings inside the Town of Seward.
• Camping on your land — Temporary camping on private land inside the Town of Seward.
• Tiny homes — Tiny-home occupancy inside the Town of Seward.
• Accessory dwellings — Accessory dwelling units inside the Town of Seward.

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.