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

Town of Campbell’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Buildings or structures erected, added to, or structurally altered inside Campbell town.

  • No permit may issue where the work or use would violate the zoning law.
  • The Code Enforcement Officer must be satisfied issuance does not violate Town Land Subdivision Rules and Regulations or the New York State Uniform Fire Prevention and Building Code.
  • The county administers NYS Building and Fire Code matters for Campbell under the town's 2024 local-law action.

  “No building or structure shall be erected, added to, or structurally altered until a permit thereof has been issued by the Code Enforcement Officer.”

• InspectionsLimited

  Development performed in a Campbell town special flood hazard area.

  • Periodic inspections occur at appropriate times during construction to monitor compliance with floodplain-permit conditions.
  • This claim does not establish an inspection requirement for construction outside special flood hazard areas.

  “The Local Floodplain Administrator and /or the developer’s engineer or architect shall make periodic inspections at appropriate times throughout the period of construction in order to monitor compliance with permit conditions”

• Living in an RVLimited

  Recreational vehicles in Campbell town special flood hazard areas.

  • For an RV remaining on site 180 consecutive days or longer, an elevation certificate must be submitted unless the RV is fully licensed and ready for highway use.
  • This claim does not establish a townwide residential-RV occupancy rule outside special flood hazard areas.

  continuous stay threshold: >= 180 days (unless fully licensed and ready for highway use)

  “A certificate of elevation must also be submitted for a recreational vehicle if it remains on a site for one hundred eighty (180) consecutive days or longer (unless it is fully licensed and ready for highway use).”

• Camping on your landLimited

  Campgrounds for recreational camping in Campbell town.

  • Campgrounds may be located only in agricultural and residential districts.
  • The developer must submit a concept plan to the Planning Board; after Planning Board approval, site-plan approval must be submitted to the Town Board for public hearing and decision.

  “Campgrounds may be located in agricultural and residential districts only. The potential developer of such a facility shall prepare a concept plan for submission to the Planning Board.”

• Off-grid sanitationLimited

  Habitable structures and development in Campbell town.

  • Water supply and sewage disposal must comply with applicable Town, NYS Health Department, and/or NYS Department of Environmental Conservation requirements.
  • Habitable structures must meet applicable minimum requirements identified by the Town or NYS Health Department.

  “Provisions for water supply and sewage disposal shall comply with requirements of the Town of Campbell, N.Y.S. Health Department, and/or N.Y.S. Department of Environmental Conservation. All habitable structures shall meet minimum requirements as identified by the Town or N.Y.S. Health Department.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Subdivision-related residential cluster development in Campbell town.

  • The applicant must submit sketch plan, preliminary layout, and subdivision plat at successive stages under subdivision regulations.
  • The cited provision is for residential cluster development.

  “The applicant shall submit at successive stages a sketch plan, preliminary layout, and subdivision plat in accordance with the requirements of the subdivision regulations.”

• Building in a floodplainRequired

  Construction and other development in Campbell town special flood hazard areas shown on the Flood Insurance Rate Map.

  • The Planning Board is Local Floodplain Administrator.
  • Town of Campbell development need not obtain a permit but must comply with local-law standards.
  • Projects under federal or New York State jurisdiction are not subject to this local law.
  • Application may include plans and specified site, structure, fill, storage, drainage, and flood-hazard information.
  • Application fee and additional review, inspection, and approval costs apply under the Town fee schedule.

  “It shall be unlawful to undertake any development in a special flood hazard area, as shown on the Flood Insurance Rate Map enumerated in Section 6.4.2, without a valid floodplain development permit.”

• Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

  Zoning variance applications in Campbell town.

  • The published fees concern use and area variances, not building permits.
  • The zoning law also requires floodplain-permit fees under the Town fee schedule, plus applicant reimbursement of additional review, inspection, and approval costs.

  use variance fee: 75 USD · area variance fee: 75 USD

  “Zoning Board Fees 10/30/2021 Use Variance: $75.00 Area Variance: $75.00”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Town of Campbell building-permit applications administered by Steuben County.

  • Applicant completes the Campbell building-permit application, receives fee amount, and pays the fee.
  • The Code Enforcement Officer has up to 30 days to review before permit issuance and work start.

  application review period: <= 30 days (Before a building permit is issued and work can be started.)

  “Code Enforcement Officer has up to 30 days to review the Application before a Building Permit is issued and work can be started.”

Rules another office applies inside Town of Campbell

Town of Campbell 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)

  Residential use in Campbell town AR Agricultural Residential and R1 Rural Residential zoning districts.

  • AR minimum residential land area is 50,000 square feet, reducible to 20,000 square feet where soil and drainage conditions permit upon presentation of a satisfactory percolation test to the Zoning Officer; R1 setback-yard and coverage requirements then apply.
  • R1 minimum residential land area is 20,000 square feet.

  AR minimum land area per dwelling unit: 50000 square feet (May be reduced to 20,000 square feet under the schedule footnote.) · R1 minimum land area per dwelling unit: 20000 square feet

  “Residential AR* 50,000*** - 250' 75' 20' 80' 10% 35' R1* 20,000 - 100' 35' 20' 50' 25% 35'”

• SetbacksDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Residential use in Campbell town AR Agricultural Residential and R1 Rural Residential zoning districts.

  • AR: front 75 feet, side 20 feet, rear 80 feet.
  • R1: front 35 feet, side 20 feet, rear 50 feet.
  • Cluster-development regulations can establish different yard dimensions.

  AR front/side/rear yard: 75/20/80 feet · R1 front/side/rear yard: 35/20/50 feet

  “Residential AR* 50,000*** - 250' 75' 20' 80' 10% 35' R1* 20,000 - 100' 35' 20' 50' 25% 35'”

• Lot coverageDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Residential use in Campbell town AR Agricultural Residential and R1 Rural Residential zoning districts.

  • Coverage includes all accessory buildings.
  • Where 25% or more of lots in a block are occupied by buildings, average yard dimensions and average lot coverage determine requirements for a new building or use in that block.

  AR maximum lot coverage: <= 10 percent (Includes all accessory buildings.) · R1 maximum lot coverage: <= 25 percent (Includes all accessory buildings.)

  “Maximum Lot Coverage (Inc. all Accessory Bldgs.) **”

• Building heightDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Residential use in Campbell town AR Agricultural Residential and R1 Rural Residential zoning districts.

  • Small-scale wind energy systems are exempt from height restrictions up to 85 feet in all districts.

  AR maximum height: <= 35 feet · R1 maximum height: <= 35 feet

  “For all districts, exempt small scale wind energy systems from height restrictions up to 85 feet.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built construction in Campbell town.
• Building code adopted — NYS Building and Fire Code matters inside Campbell town.
• Certificate of occupancy — Occupancy of buildings in Campbell town.
• Minimum dwelling size — Residential dwellings in Campbell town.
• Tiny homes — Tiny-home occupancy in Campbell town.

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.