Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Village of Watkins Glen, New York

Village of Watkins Glen’s own rules

• Local zoningPresent

  All land inside Watkins Glen village, Schuyler County, NY

  • Enacted as Local Law No. 3 of 2018 by the Board of Trustees
  • Administered by the code enforcement officer through zoning permits

  “this local law shall be known as the "zoning law of the village of watkins glen" and may also be referenced as "wgzl".”

• Zoning districtsPublished

  Zoning districts inside Watkins Glen village

  • Districts listed in the table of contents: R1, R2, R3, RT, BT, CB, LD, CD, CL, C-I, C-II, plus PMRD floating zone and flood overlay
  • Zoning map referenced in Article 3

  “residential low density (r1) intent residential moderate density (r2) intent residential high density (r3) intent residential transition (rt) intent business transition (bt) intent central business (cb) intent”

• Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

  Single unit dwelling in the R2 district, Watkins Glen village

  • R1 schedule lists 1,200 and 2,000 sq ft for different uses; other districts differ

  minimum habitable dwelling area per unit: >= 1200 sq ft

  “r2 single unit dwelling two unit dwelling bed & breakfast inn 5,000 50 25 6 30 60 35 1,200”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  Single unit dwelling in the R2 (Residential Moderate Density) district, Watkins Glen village

  • Other districts (R1 20,000 sq ft and up, R3, etc.) have different figures in the schedule; R1 row not parsed cleanly
  • No agricultural district identified

  minimum lot area: 5000 sq ft · minimum lot width: 50 ft

  “r2 single unit dwelling two unit dwelling bed & breakfast inn 5,000 50 25 6 30 60 35 1,200”

• SetbacksSpecified

  Single unit dwelling in the R2 district, Watkins Glen village

  • Column order per schedule: front, side, rear yards; reduced front setback allowed for some undeveloped lots under 5.2.1

  front yard: 25 ft · side yard: 6 ft · rear yard: 30 ft

  “r2 single unit dwelling two unit dwelling bed & breakfast inn 5,000 50 25 6 30 60 35 1,200”

• Lot coverageSpecified

  Single unit dwelling in the R2 district, Watkins Glen village

  • Other districts differ

  maximum lot coverage: <= 60 percent

  “r2 single unit dwelling two unit dwelling bed & breakfast inn 5,000 50 25 6 30 60 35 1,200”

• Building heightSpecified

  Single unit dwelling in the R2 district, Watkins Glen village

  • Section 5.6 exempts non-habitable parts such as chimneys, silos, HVAC equipment

  maximum building height: <= 35 ft (non-habitable parts exempt under 5.6)

  “the limitations of the height of a building shall not apply to parts of a structure which are non-habitable, including; silo, chimney, heating, ventilating and air conditioning (hvac) equipment”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  Mobile homes and factory manufactured homes as dwelling units inside Watkins Glen village

  • Must meet the requirements of the zoning law and the NYS Uniform Fire Prevention and Building Code
  • Per-district permission in the Article 4 use table was not reviewed

  “this shall include mobile homes, house trailers and factory manufactured homes provided they meet the requirements of this law and the nys uniform fire prevention and building code.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Subdivision of lots inside Watkins Glen village

  • Subdivision may not create a non-compliant lot

  “no subdivision of a lot shall create a lot that is not in compliance with any provision of the bulk and density control schedule.”

• Permit processPartial

  Zoning permits inside Watkins Glen village

  • Application requires a fee set by the village board and copies of a layout or plot plan
  • Only the zoning permit process was reviewed; building permit process not opened

  “no such zoning permit shall be issued for any building or use where said construction, addition, or alteration or use thereof would be in violation of any of the provisions of this law or any other applicable village laws.”

Still unanswered

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

• Building permit — Watkins Glen village
• Owner-builder exemption — Watkins Glen village
• Building code adopted — Watkins Glen village
• Inspections — Watkins Glen village
• Certificate of occupancy — Watkins Glen village

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.