Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Village of Massena, New York
Village of Massena is a village in St. Lawrence County, New York. Village of Massena adopts its own zoning, so inside its limits Village of Massena’s rules apply, not the county’s. 5 rules below are quoted from official sources and independently re-checked, most recently on November 12, 2026. Rules for unincorporated land are on the St. Lawrence County page.
Answers from the rulebook for Village of Massena
Village of Massena’s own rules
Local zoningPresent
All land inside Massena village (St. Lawrence County)
Adopted under Village Law § 7-700 and Municipal Home Rule Law § 10
“this chapter shall be known and may be cited as the "zoning law of the village of massena" and is chapter 300 of the code of the village of massena.”
Zoning districtsPublished
All land inside Massena village
Residential A (R-A), B (R-B), C (R-C), CBD, CTD, CAR, PDD and G-PD
A downtown overlay district applies in addition to base districts (§ 300-13.1)
Boundaries are on the zoning map filed with the code enforcement officer
“the village of massena is hereby divided into eight classes of districts”
Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified
Dwelling units in all zoning districts inside Massena village (definition of dwelling unit)
Stated in the § 300-4 definition of dwelling unit, not a district table
minimum dwelling unit area: >= 450 square feet
“a building or portion thereof designed for complete housekeeping facilities for one family, with a minimum area of 450 square feet.”
Manufactured homesAllowed (with conditions)
Manufactured (modular/panelized) housing as defined in § 300-4, inside Massena village
Applies to housing built to § 1210.1(a) of the NYS Uniform Fire Prevention and Building Code
Mobile homes (permanent chassis) are a separate definition; a mobile home park is only a special use in the Residential C district after site plan review (§ 300-7 b(6))
“for the purpose of these regulations, manufactured housing shall be deemed the equal of site-built units.”
Accessory dwellingsLimited
Residential B and Residential C districts inside Massena village
Only separate living quarters within the main residence; no detached accessory dwelling listed
Limited to servants or family members, not more than two adults
Residential A text on this was not opened
maximum adults in accessory quarters: <= 2 adults
“separate living quarters within main residence for servants or family members not to exceed more than two adults.”
Still unanswered
We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Village of Massena or St. Lawrence County directly.
Building permit — Building permits in Massena village
Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption in Massena village
Building code adopted — Building code in Massena village
Inspections — Building inspections in Massena village
Certificate of occupancy — Certificates of occupancy in Massena village
19 more unanswered
Minimum lot size
Setbacks
Lot coverage
Building height
Living in an RV
Camping on your land
Tiny homes
Who permits septic
Septic permit
Septic inspection
Off-grid sanitation
Well permit
Mandatory utility hookup
Agricultural exemption
Subdividing land
Driveway access
Short-term rentals
Permit fees
Permit process
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.
Unanswered questions are usually a sign that Village of Massena publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. St. Lawrence County’s page lists the county offices to call.
Off-grid gear
Going off-grid in Village of Massena means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:
