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

Village of Gouverneur’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Any use or structure inside Gouverneur village

  • Certificates of occupancy and/or compliance may also be required.
  • Violations carry fines up to $500 or up to seven days imprisonment per the zoning law.

  “no use or structure shall be established, commenced, constructed, moved, converted, or altered without a building/use permit and certificates.”

• Certificate of occupancyRequired

  Buildings and uses inside Gouverneur village

  • Certificate of occupancy may be revoked one year after issuance if no application is made for a final certificate of compliance.
  • Certificates of compliance must be obtained by those who received a variance or special permit.

  “a certificate of occupancy may be issued by the code enforcement officer prior to issuance of a final certificate of compliance.”

• Local zoningPresent

  Land inside Gouverneur village limits

  • Copy is a 2019 version hosted on the St. Lawrence County site; later amendments not checked.

  “this local law is adopted pursuant to article 7 sections 7-700, 7-702, and 7-704 of new york state village law”

• Zoning districtsPublished

  Gouverneur village zoning districts: R-1, R-2, R-3, R-B, B-1, B-2, I, plus planned development (PD)

  • Zoning map dated 2019 is kept by the village clerk.

  “the following districts are established by this local law in order to divide the village into zones with compatible land uses: r-1 r-2 r-3 r-b b-1 b-2 i”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  Manufactured homes (single-wide or larger) inside Gouverneur village

  • Must be new as of building permit application date
  • Must be single family owner occupied
  • Must be placed parallel to street, with block skirting
  • Non-metallic, non-reflective siding and roof
  • Wheels, axles and towing devices removed
  • Minimum 3/12 roof pitch with 4 inch eave projection
  • Section also requires a HUD seal (text truncated in read)

  minimum size single-wide: >= 14' x 72' · minimum size double-wide: >= 28' x 48'

  “manufactured home must be new as of the date of the building permit application. b. manufactured home must be single family owner occupied.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builders inside Gouverneur village
• Inspections — Inspections inside Gouverneur village
• Minimum dwelling size — Inside Gouverneur village
• Setbacks — Inside Gouverneur village
• Living in an RV — RV occupancy inside Gouverneur 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.