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

Town of Callicoon’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Work proposed through the Town of Callicoon building-permit application.

  • The application requires submitted plans, building and zoning specifications, and any permit special conditions.
  • The application states that it is not itself a permit.

  “A PERMIT MUST BE OBTAINED BEFORE BEGINNING WORK”

• InspectionsRequired

  Work for which a Town of Callicoon building permit is in effect.

  • The applicant must tell the Code Enforcement Officer when work is ready for inspection.
  • Regular or periodic inspections of occupied dwelling units are not required, subject to invited or hazard inspections.

  “Work for which a building permit is in effect shall be inspected for approval prior to enclosing or covering each stage of construction, including building location, site preparation, excavation”

• Certificate of occupancyRequired

  Use or occupancy of a building or structure in the Town of Callicoon.

  • A temporary certificate may be issued when sufficiently complete; it expires in six months but may be renewed.
  • Before a certificate of occupancy is issued, a licensed engineer must certify septic-system approval.

  “No use or occupancy of a building or structure may be commenced unless a certificate of occupancy has been issued for that building or structure.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land within the Town of Callicoon, Sullivan County, New York.

  • Chapter 203 is the Town of Callicoon Zoning Law.

  “This chapter shall be known as the "Town of Callicoon Zoning Law."”

• Camping on your landLimited

  Campground and RV-park development inside the Town of Callicoon.

  • A campground or RV park requires at least 20 contiguous acres suitable for development.
  • Transient development lots must be at least 75 feet wide, 100 feet deep, and 7,500 square feet.

  minimum gross development area: >= 20 acres

  “a campground or recreational vehicle (rv) park development shall have a gross area of at least 20 contiguous acres of land suitable for development.”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  Mobile-home parks in the Town of Callicoon Rural and Rural Business Districts.

  • The zoning schedule lists mobile-home parks as conditional uses in both the Rural and Rural Business Districts.

  “(17) mobile home parks (18) convenience retail establishments”

• Septic inspectionLimited

  Septic systems associated with a building seeking a Town certificate of occupancy.

  • A licensed engineer certification of septic approval is required before issuance of the certificate of occupancy.

  “before a certificate of occupancy is issued, a licensed engineer must certify that the septic system is approved.”

• Off-grid sanitationLimited

  Campgrounds and recreational-vehicle parks in the Town of Callicoon.

  • No individual on-site sewage or water supply is permitted for the campground or RV-park use.
  • Community systems must comply with New York State Sanitary Code standards as evidenced by approved plans.

  “No individual on-site sewage or water supply shall be permitted, and all community systems for the common use of campsite occupants shall fully comply, as evidenced by approved plans, with the standards imposed by the New York State Sanitary Code.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Minor subdivisions within the Town of Callicoon.

  • A minor-subdivision plan and supporting documentation must be submitted to the Planning Board at a scheduled meeting.
  • A complete submission proceeds to Planning Board review and action.

  “A minor subdivision plan and all required supporting documentation shall be submitted to the Planning Board at a scheduled meeting of the Planning Board.”

• Driveway accessLimited

  Private access drives and subdivision access inside the Town of Callicoon.

  • A private access drive can serve no more than one lot or use and needs a permanent right-of-way at least 40 feet wide.
  • No new lot may be created with only private-drive access if it could be subdivided under the minimum-area rules.

  minimum private-drive permanent right-of-way width: >= 40 feet (Only if no more than one lot or use is served.)

  “private access drives shall be permitted to a parcel if no more than one lot or use is served by such drive and a permanent right-of-way of at least 40 feet in width is provided.”

• Building in a floodplainRequired

  Construction and other development in Town of Callicoon areas of special flood hazard.

  • Applies to areas of special flood hazard shown on the Flood Insurance Rate Map specified by § 125-6.
  • Application may require scaled duplicate plans showing stated site and development information.

  “It shall be unlawful to undertake any development in an area of special flood hazard, as shown on the Flood Insurance Rate Map enumerated in § 125-6, without a valid floodplain development permit.”

• Short-term rentalsLimited

  Properties used as Town of Callicoon short-term transient rentals under 30 days and unoccupied by the owner.

  • Annual inspection and an inspection before operation are required.
  • The annual permit fee stated in the code is $100, with the year starting on application date.
  • On-site parking and a 911 sign at the end of the driveway are required; advertising signs are prohibited.

  annual permit fee: per 100 USD (Year starts on date of application.)

  “annual permit fee of $100 (year starts on date of application).”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Applicants for Town of Callicoon building permits.

  • The application requests site, use, construction, builder, architect, electrician, plumber, well, and waste/sewage information.
  • For nonpublic waste disposal, plans to scale must comply with New York State Health Department regulations.

  “Please submit a PLOT PLAN TO A SCALE OF 1" TO 100' indicating street names, location and size of property, the location, size and setbacks of proposed buildings, and the locations of all existing buildings, proposed well and septic locations.”

Rules another office applies inside Town of Callicoon

Town of Callicoon does not set these itself; the county, a health district or the state does, and they apply to every address inside its limits.

• Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

  Buildings, structures, and premises in the Town of Callicoon.

  • Except as otherwise provided in the Uniform Code, other state law, or the Town article.

  “This article provides for the administration and enforcement of the New York State Uniform Fire Prevention and Building Code (the Uniform Code) and the State Energy Conservation Construction Code (the Energy Code) in the Town of Callicoon, Sullivan County, New York”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residential construction inside the Town of Callicoon.
• Minimum dwelling size — Dwellings inside the Town of Callicoon.
• Tiny homes — Tiny-home occupancy inside the Town of Callicoon.
• Accessory dwellings — Accessory dwelling units inside the Town of Callicoon.
• Septic permit — Individual septic-system installation inside the Town of Callicoon.

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.

Off-grid gear

Going off-grid in Town of Callicoon means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

• Water Crystal Quest Filter any source — well, rain, or creek — to drinking-clean.
• Power Bluetti Solar generators and home battery backup for living off the grid.
• Septic Soil percolation test kit Run your own perc test before paying an engineer — the first thing a septic office asks about.
• Water Well water test kit Bacteria, nitrates, hardness — know what the well on a parcel is really pumping.

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