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

Town of Catharine’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Erection, construction, enlargement, alteration, removal, demolition, conversion, or occupancy change of a building or structure inside Catharine town.

  • A separate permit is required from the Code Enforcement Officer for each building or structure.
  • Ordinary repairs that are not structural in nature do not require a building permit.

  “No person, firm, or corporation shall commence the erection, construction, enlargement, alteration, removal, demolition, conversion, or change in the nature of the occupancy of any building or structure, or cause the same to be done, without first obtaining a separate building permit from the the Code Enforcement Officer for each such building or structure; except that no building permit shall be required for the performance of ordinary repairs which are not structural in nature.”

• InspectionsRequired

  Buildings and structures subject to Code Enforcement Officer duties inside Catharine town.

  • Inspections are those necessary or proper to carry out the Code Enforcement Officer's duties.
  • The officer may inspect a building or structure under construction at a reasonable hour after showing proper credentials.

  “The Code Enforcement Officer shall make all inspections which are necessary or proper for the carrying out of these duties.”

• Certificate of occupancyRequired

  Any building erected subject to the New York State Uniform Fire Prevention and Building Code inside Catharine town.

  • A certificate must be issued by the Town Code Enforcement Officer before any whole or partial occupancy or use.
  • The certificate is according to the building's class and kind under the New York State Uniform Fire Prevention and Building Code.

  “No building erected subject to the New York State Uniform Fire Prevention and Building Code shall be occupied or used, in whole or in part, for any purpose whatever until a certificate of occupancy is issued by the Code Enforcement Officer in accordance with its class and kind under the provisions of the New York State Uniform Fire Prevention and Building Code.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land within the corporate limits of the Town of Catharine, Schuyler County, New York.

  • The ordinance applies to all buildings, structures, land, and uses within Town corporate limits; no uses are permitted within public rights-of-way.

  “For the purpose of this ordinance the Town of Catharine is hereby divided into the following zones:”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Zoning districts for land inside Catharine town.

  • The official zoning map is incorporated into the ordinance.
  • Land not shown in a district is classified as AG – Rural Agricultural Zone.

  “For the purpose of this ordinance the Town of Catharine is hereby divided into the following zones: AG – Rural Agricultural Zone: All private land areas in the Town of Catharine unless otherwise specified. RN - Rural Neighborhood Zone B - Business Floating Zone HT - House Trailer Use Districts I - Industrial C - Conservation Overlay District”

• Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

  Each residential building inside Catharine town.

  minimum living area: >= 600 square feet (Each residential building.)

  “Each residential building shall contain not less than 600 square feet of living area.”

• Building heightSpecified

  Buildings and structures in all Catharine town zones.

  • The height limitation does not apply to listed lawfully existing, permitted, or permissible structures, including chimneys, spires, belfries, cupolas, domes, silos, certain antennas, limited roof solar, specified wind-energy systems, Article 10 structures, and broadband towers and antennas.

  maximum building height: <= 35 feet (Three-story maximum; listed exceptions apply.) · maximum stories: <= 3 stories (Listed exceptions apply.)

  “No building or structure shall be erected in excess of three (3) stories or thirty-five (35) feet in height. The stated maximum height shall not apply to any of the following structures when lawfully existing, permitted, or permissible in the district:”

• Tiny homesLimited

  Tiny homes that are residential buildings inside Catharine town.

  • Each residential building must contain at least 600 square feet of living area.
  • Other zoning-district, building-permit, inspection, and certificate-of-occupancy requirements remain applicable.

  minimum living area: >= 600 square feet (Each residential building.)

  “Each residential building shall contain not less than 600 square feet of living area.”

• Driveway accessLimited

  Driveway or other vehicular access to a public highway inside Catharine town.

  • The access must provide the specified visibility in both directions from the driveway centerline intersection with the right-of-way.

  minimum driveway visibility: >= 100 feet (Measured from a height of 5 feet above the centerline of the driveway in both directions.)

  “No driveway or other vehicular access to any public highway shall be constructed with less than 100 feet of visibility from a height of 5 feet above the center line of the driveway in both directions from the point where the center line of the driveway intersects with the right-of-way.”

• Building in a floodplainLimited

  Applications under the Town zoning ordinance inside Catharine town.

  • All applications under the zoning ordinance must adhere to applicable laws, ordinances, and regulations, including the Town Local Law for the Prevention of Flood Damage.

  “All applications under this ordinance in the Town of Catharine shall adhere to all applicable laws, ordinances and regulations including, but not limited to, the Town of Catharine Right to Farm Law and the Town of Catharine Local Law for the Prevention of Flood Damage.”

• Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

  Building permits issued by Catharine town.

  • The stated flat rate applies to projects of $20,000 or less, including labor and materials.
  • Projects over $20,000 are charged per thousand dollars, including labor and materials.
  • The zoning law states the Town Board determines fees periodically.

  building permit fee for projects at or under $20,000: 40 USD (Includes labor and materials.) · building permit fee for projects over $20,000: per 2 USD per thousand dollars (Includes labor and materials.)

  “Building Permits are a flat rate of $40.00 for projects $20,000 and under (includes labor and materials), and $2.00 per thousand for projects over $20,000 (includes labor and materials).”

Rules another office applies inside Town of Catharine

Town of Catharine 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

  Structures in the AG – Rural Agricultural Zone inside Catharine town.

  • The claim is limited to the AG – Rural Agricultural Zone.

  minimum lot area: >= 5 acres (Any structure built.) · minimum lot width: >= 150 feet (Any structure built.)

  “Any structure built shall be located on a lot with an area not less than 5 acres and width of not less than 150 feet.”

• Lot coverageSpecified

  Lots in the Rural Neighborhood Zone inside Catharine town.

  • The limit includes accessory buildings.
  • The claim is limited to the Rural Neighborhood Zone.

  maximum building and structure lot coverage: <= 50 percent (Includes accessory buildings.)

  “All buildings and structures, including accessory buildings, shall not cover more than fifty (50) percent of the area of the lot.”

• Who permits septicCounty (with conditions)

  Approval of a common septic-system design for an accessory apartment in Catharine town.

  • The provision concerns an accessory apartment contained in an existing single-family home, garage, or carriage house.
  • A common septic system may be shared only if its design is approved by the Schuyler County Public Health Department.

  “ACCESSORY APARTMENT – A second residential unit that may be contained within an existing single-family home, garage, or carriage house that is required to be a complete housekeeping unit that can function independently, with separate access, kitchen, bedroom, and sanitary facilities (though may share a common septic system if the design is approved by the Schuyler County Public Health Department).”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder work inside Catharine town.
• Building code adopted — Building-code adoption for land inside Catharine town.
• Camping on your land — Temporary camping on private land inside Catharine town.
• Septic permit — On-site sewage systems inside Catharine town.
• Septic inspection — On-site sewage systems inside Catharine town.

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.