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

Village of Waterloo’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Erecting, adding to, demolishing or altering buildings inside Waterloo village (zoning permit from the code administration officer)

  • This is the zoning permit under Chapter 245; a separate Uniform Code building permit was not verified
  • Permits valid one year, up to two extensions of three months each
  • No permit may be granted except in compliance with the zoning chapter or orders of the planning board or ZBA

  permit validity: 1 year (two extensions of up to three months each)

  “no building or structure (fixed or portable) shall be erected, added to, demolished, in whole or in part, modified or structurally altered internally or externally or its use altered until a zoning permit has been issued by the code administration officer.”

• Building code adoptedNot adopted

  Waterloo village's own enforcement of the NY Uniform Fire Prevention and Building Code

  • Code section history dates to 1984 (L.L. No. 1-1984); current enforcement by another body (e.g. county) not verified
  • Statewide Uniform Code status inside the village not verified

  “the village of waterloo in the county of seneca will not enforce the uniform fire prevention and building code as described and set forth in article 18 of the executive law of the state of new york.”

• InspectionsLimited

  Completion inspection for zoning compliance inside Waterloo village

  • Zoning-compliance inspection only; Uniform Code construction inspections not verified

  “thereupon the code administration officer shall inspect the site and, if the requirements of this chapter have been met, shall issue a certificate of zoning compliance.”

• Certificate of occupancyRequired

  Occupying land or using new, altered or extended buildings inside Waterloo village (certificate of zoning compliance)

  • Called a certificate of zoning compliance, issued by the code administration officer
  • Issued only in strict compliance with Chapter 245

  “no land shall be occupied or used and no building hereafter erected, altered or extended shall be used or changed in use until a certificate of zoning compliance shall have been issued by the code administration officer.”

• Local zoningPresent

  Land inside Waterloo village (Seneca County), Chapter 245 Zoning

  “zoning districts are bounded and defined as shown on a map entitled "zoning map, village of waterloo, new york," which map, and all amendments thereto, is adopted as part of this chapter”

• Zoning districtsPublished

  Zoning districts inside Waterloo village (R1-R4, SD, GB, CB, LI, HI)

  • Annexed land is automatically classified R1 pending a permanent designation

  “the following types of zoning districts are hereby created and established in the village of waterloo for the intent and purpose described below”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  R1 Residential District inside Waterloo village

  • Minimum lot width 75 feet
  • Density 5.8 dwelling units per acre

  minimum lot size: 7500 square feet

  “(1) density: 5.8 dwelling units per acre. (2) minimum lot size: 7,500 square feet. (3) minimum lot width: 75 feet.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — R2 Residential District inside Waterloo village

    “(1) density: 7.8 dwelling units per acre. (2) minimum lot size: 6,000 square feet. (3) minimum lot width: 60 feet.”

• SetbacksSpecified

  R1 Residential District inside Waterloo village

  • Yard dimensions amended 7-12-1999 by L.L. No. 3-1999

  front yard: 25 feet · side yard: 7 feet · rear yard: 25 feet

  “(4) minimum yard dimensions: (a) front: 25 feet. (b) sides: seven feet. (c) rear: 25 feet. [amended 7-12-1999 by l.l. no. 3-1999]”

• Lot coverageSpecified

  R1 Residential District inside Waterloo village

  • Maximum floor area ratio 20%

  maximum lot coverage: <= 30 percent

  “(5) maximum floor area ratio (far): two-tenths (20%) (7,500 times.2 equals 1,500). (6) maximum lot coverage: 30%.”

• Building heightSpecified

  R1 Residential District inside Waterloo village

  maximum building height: <= 35 feet

  “(6) maximum lot coverage: 30%. (7) maximum building height: 35 feet.”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  Residential-designed manufactured homes in the R1 Residential District inside Waterloo village

  • Special permit required; also a special-permit use in R2, R3 and R4
  • Mobile home parks are special-permit uses in R4 only
  • See also Ch. 159 mobile homes (not opened)

  “(2) special permit: (a) churches, places of worship, parish houses, sunday school buildings and parochial schools. (b) home occupations. (c) residential-designed manufactured homes.”

• Septic permitRequired

  New use or construction involving on-site sewage disposal inside Waterloo village

  • Also applies to a change in use or alteration that increases sewage volume
  • Certificate of approval from the Seneca County Health Department must precede the zoning permit

  “no permit for any new use or construction which will involve the on-site disposal of sewage or waste, and no permit for a change in use or an alteration which will result in an increased volume of sewage or waste to be disposed of on the site, shall be issued until a certificate of approval has been issued by the seneca county health department.”

• Permit processPartial

  Zoning permit applications inside Waterloo village

  • Application in writing on a form from the code administration officer, available at the village office
  • Applicant provides proposed use statement and scaled site layout
  • Special permit applications and planning board review are excepted from the 15-day timeline

  decision deadline: <= 15 days (special permit applications and planning board review)

  “zoning permits shall be granted or refused within 15 days after the completed written application has been filed with the code administration officer, except as provided for special permit applications and planning board review.”

Rules another office applies inside Village of Waterloo

Village of Waterloo 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)

  On-site sewage disposal approval inside Waterloo village; Seneca County Health Department issues the certificate of approval

  • Village code makes the county certificate a precondition to the zoning permit

  “until a certificate of approval has been issued by the seneca county health department.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption inside Waterloo village
• Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling size inside Waterloo village
• Living in an RV — RV occupancy inside Waterloo village
• Camping on your land — Temporary camping inside Waterloo village
• Tiny homes — Tiny homes inside Waterloo 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.