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

Town of Gouverneur’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Uses, structures, and land development inside the Town of Gouverneur.

  • No permit is required for fences, natural-disaster cleanup, or non-commercial structures with less than 144 square feet of gross floor area.

  non-commercial structure exemption threshold: < 144 square feet gross floor area (Fences and natural-disaster cleanup are also exempt.)

  “No use or structure shall be established, erected nor land developed until a permit has been issued by the Enforcement Officer, who shall issue such permits in accordance with regulations set forth in this Local Law. No permits shall be required for the erection of fences, natural disaster cleanup, nor for the construction of non-cornmercial structures of less than 144 square feet of gross floor area.”

• InspectionsRequired

  Projects inside the Town of Gouverneur for which a Building/Use Permit and Certificate of Compliance are required.

  • The Enforcement Officer inspects before issuing the Certificate of Compliance; the certificate issues only if the use conforms to the regulations and permit application.

  “The Enforcement Officer shall inspect each project or action for which a Certificate of Compliance is required before issuing such Certificate.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside the Town of Gouverneur, St. Lawrence County, New York.

  • Uses and structures are subject to the Town's Land Use Regulations and permits administered by the Enforcement Officer.

  “No use or structure shall be established, erected nor land developed until a permit has been issued by the Enforcement Officer, who shall issue such permits in accordance with regulations set forth in this Local Law.”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Land inside the Town of Gouverneur subject to the Town Land Use Regulations.

  • The Town's official Documents page identifies a Town Land Use Map, and the Town code identifies the Intensive Development District.

  “2014 Town of Gouverneur Land Use Regulation Bk 1 [...] 2003 Town of Gouverneur Bk 2: Subdivision Regulations [...] Town of Gouverneur Land Use Map”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  Individual manufactured homes on lots or parcels where permitted inside the Town of Gouverneur.

  • The home may only be occupied as a single-family residence; it must have the required certification seal, potable water, compliant sewage disposal, conforming area, adequate stand, tie-downs, and skirting. Installation of units without a certifying seal is prohibited.

  “The rnanufactured home shall be occupied only as a single family residence.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Creation of lots inside the Town of Gouverneur that meets the stated subdivision threshold.

  • The Subdivision Regulations apply upon creation of a fifth lot of five acres or less within any consecutive three-year period.

  triggering lot: <= 5 acres or less (Applies upon creation of the fifth lot within any consecutive three-year period.) · time period: 3 years (Consecutive period for the fifth-lot threshold.)

  “The Gouvemeur Subdivision Regulations become applicable upon tiie creation of a fifth lot of five acres or less within ariy consecutive three year period.”

• Permit feesVariable (with conditions)

  Town Land Use Regulation permits inside the Town of Gouverneur.

  • Fees are according to the fee schedule established by Town Board resolution from time to time.

  “Permit fees shall be paid according to the fee schedule as may from time to time be established by resolution of the Town Board.”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Building/Use Permit and Special Use Permit applications inside the Town of Gouverneur.

  • Plans and data must be submitted under the procedures in the Land Use Regulations; at least two site-plan copies and any additional copies required by the Enforcement Officer are required.

  minimum site-plan copies: >= 2 copies (Additional copies may be specified by the Enforcement Officer.)

  “Site Plan - A minimum of two (2) copies and such additional copies as the Enforcement Officer may specify, to scale, to include:”

Rules another office applies inside Town of Gouverneur

Town of Gouverneur 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 sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

  One- and two-family dwellings in the Town of Gouverneur Intensive Development District.

  • A one- or two-family dwelling with municipal water and sewer requires 0.5 acre; without municipal water and sewer it requires 1 acre per family.

  minimum lot size with municipal water and sewer: 0.5 acres (One- and two-family dwellings in the Intensive Development District.) · minimum lot size without municipal water and sewer: 1 acres per family (One- and two-family dwellings in the Intensive Development District.)

  “8. One and two family dwellings With municipal water and sewer 0.5 acres Without municipal water and sewer 1 acre per family”

• SetbacksDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Uses in the Town of Gouverneur Intensive Development District, unless otherwise specified in the regulations.

  • The stated side, rear, and road-centerline setbacks apply unless the regulations otherwise provide.

  side-lot-line setback: 15 feet (Unless otherwise set forth in the regulations.) · rear-lot-line setback: 15 feet (Unless otherwise set forth in the regulations.) · State or County highway centerline setback: 75 feet (Measured from the road centerline.) · other road or highway centerline setback: 60 feet (Measured from the road centerline.)

  “Additionally, in all cases, unless otherwise set forth in these regulations, said use shall be set back 15 feet at the side lot lines and 15 feet at the rear lot line. The set back shall be 75 feet from the center line of any State or County highway or 60 feet from any other road or highway, as measured from the center of the road.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builders inside the Town of Gouverneur.
• Building code adopted — Building-code adoption for land inside the Town of Gouverneur.
• Certificate of occupancy — Occupancy of structures inside the Town of Gouverneur.
• Minimum dwelling size — Dwellings inside the Town of Gouverneur.
• Lot coverage — Lots inside the Town of Gouverneur.

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.