Town of Bethlehem, NY: zoning for new construction

General Commercial - The 1 acre lot minimum is the nonresidential one. This district publishes no residential or mixed-use lot standard, both major and minor residential subdivision are prohibited, and dividing land is prohibited as well.

• The front yard is whichever is greater of 100 ft from the right-of-way line and 125 ft from the centre line of the pavement, so a narrow street pushes the building back.
• A flag lot is measured from the right-of-way line, and its frontage requirement drops to 28 ft, subject to § 128-48.
• Minimum highway frontage is 100 ft, a separate requirement from the 100 ft lot width.
• On a corner lot the side yard facing the side street must equal the required front yard.

Commercial Hamlet - Dividing land is prohibited in this district. The front yard is whichever is greater of 30 ft from the right-of-way line and 55 ft from the centre line of the pavement, so a narrow street pushes the building back.

• Multifamily development is capped at 8 dwelling units per acre.
• The lot minimum is the same 10,000 sq ft for residential, nonresidential and mixed use.
• Minimum highway frontage is 100 ft, a separate requirement from the 100 ft lot width, and it drops to 28 ft for a flag lot, subject to § 128-48.
• The lot minimums do not apply to a lot created as part of a conservation subdivision or an average density subdivision.
• On a corner lot the side yard facing the side street must equal the required front yard.
• Inside the Delaware Avenue Hamlet Overlay, § 128-67.1 sets its own right-of-way front yards.

Core Residential - The front yard is whichever is greater of 25 ft from the right-of-way line and 50 ft from the centre line of the pavement, so a narrow street pushes the house back further than the figure suggests.

• A major residential subdivision is capped at 6 dwelling units per acre of unconstrained land served by public water and public sewer.
• A nonresidential use needs 0.344 acre, and a mixed-use building 15,000 sq ft.
• Minimum highway frontage is 50 ft, a separate requirement from the 60 ft lot width, and it drops to 28 ft for a flag lot, subject to § 128-48.
• The lot minimums do not apply to a lot created as part of a conservation subdivision or an average density subdivision.
• On a corner lot the side yard facing the side street must equal the required front yard.

Delaware Ave Hamlet Overlay - The Delaware Avenue Hamlet Overlay sits on top of a base district rather than replacing it. Under § 128-67.1B all requirements of the chapter apply unless the overlay modifies them, so lot and setback figures come from the underlying district.

• A parcel here is measured against its base district, which is shown on the Town Zoning Map.
• The overlay publishes no complete dimensional standard of its own, and it is not part of the district list in § 128-12.

Hamlet - Dividing land is prohibited in this district. The front yard is whichever is greater of 10 ft from the right-of-way line and 35 ft from the centre line of the pavement, so on a narrow street the building sits well back.

• A new building may instead match the front setback of the buildings next to it.
• Multifamily is capped at 8 dwelling units per acre of unconstrained land with public water and public sewer.
• A nonresidential lot needs 7,000 sq ft, 0.161 acre, and a mixed-use lot 10,000 sq ft.
• Minimum highway frontage is 40 ft, a separate requirement from the 50 ft lot width, and it drops to 28 ft for a flag lot, subject to § 128-48.
• The lot minimums do not apply to a lot created as part of a conservation subdivision or an average density subdivision.
• Inside the Delaware Avenue Hamlet Overlay, § 128-67.1 sets its own right-of-way front yards.

Mixed Economic Development - ME has no fixed dimensional schedule. Its area, yard and bulk standards are set through development plan review under § 128-37, so setbacks, lot size and coverage for a given parcel are determined in that review rather than published in advance.

• ME is established as one of the town's commercial districts under § 128-12, along with C, I and RLI.
• Confirm the figures that will apply to your parcel with the building department before sizing a project.

Multi-Family - Lot area steps up with the unit count: 8,500 sq ft for a one-family house and 5,000 sq ft more for every dwelling unit after that, continuing past four units. Dividing land is prohibited in this district.

• A two-family needs 0.3099 acre and a 3-unit building 0.4247 acre, 18,500 sq ft.
• The rear yard rises from 25 ft to 40 ft at three or four family.
• Multifamily development is capped at 8 dwelling units per acre, a separate ceiling from the per-unit lot area.
• A nonresidential lot needs 0.3444 acre, and a mixed-use building 15,000 sq ft.
• Minimum highway frontage is 50 ft, a separate requirement from the 60 ft lot width, and it drops to 28 ft for a flag lot, subject to § 128-48.
• The front yard is whichever is greater of 35 ft from the right-of-way line and 60 ft from the centre line of the pavement.

Planned Development District - Area, yard and bulk standards for PDD-B come from the development plan approved for the particular tract, so no standing figures apply. The town's schedule of area, yard and bulk requirements publishes no row for a planned development district.

• PDD-B is one of the special districts established under § 128-12.
• Ask the building department which approved development plan governs the parcel and what dimensions it sets before relying on any figures.

Rural - The residential lot minimum here is the Residential C figure, 8,500 sq ft per dwelling unit. The front yard is whichever is greater of 40 ft from the right-of-way line and 65 ft from the centre line of the pavement.

• Multifamily development is capped at 4 dwelling units per acre.
• Minimum highway frontage is 75 ft, a separate requirement from the 75 ft lot width, and it drops to 28 ft for a flag lot, subject to § 128-48.
• The lot minimums do not apply to a lot created as part of a conservation subdivision or an average density subdivision.
• On a corner lot the side yard facing the side street must equal the required front yard.

Residential A - A major residential subdivision is capped at three dwelling units per acre of unconstrained land. The front yard is whichever is greater of 35 ft from the right-of-way line and 60 ft from the centre line of the pavement.

• This district publishes no multifamily, nonresidential or mixed-use lot standard.
• Minimum highway frontage is 70 ft, a separate requirement from the 100 ft lot width, and it drops to 28 ft for a flag lot, subject to § 128-48.
• The lot minimums do not apply to a lot created as part of a conservation subdivision or an average density subdivision.
• On a corner lot the side yard facing the side street must equal the required front yard.

Residential B - A major residential subdivision is capped at 5 dwelling units per acre of unconstrained land. The front yard is whichever is greater of 25 ft from the right-of-way line and 50 ft from the centre line of the pavement.

• A nonresidential use needs 0.344 acre.
• Minimum highway frontage is 50 ft, a separate requirement from the 60 ft lot width, and it drops to 28 ft for a flag lot, subject to § 128-48.
• The lot minimums do not apply to a lot created as part of a conservation subdivision or an average density subdivision.
• On a corner lot the side yard facing the side street must equal the required front yard.

Residential C - The 8 ft side yard is the one-family figure; anything other than a one-family dwelling takes 16 ft. Lot area also steps by 5,000 sq ft per unit above the 8,500 sq ft one-family base, for two-, three- and four-family.

• A two-family needs 0.3099 acre on a 100 ft wide lot, a three-family 0.4247 acre on 102.5 ft, and four units 23,500 sq ft on 105 ft.
• The rear yard rises from 25 ft to 40 ft at three or four family.
• A nonresidential lot needs 0.3444 acre and a mixed-use one 16,000 sq ft.
• A major residential subdivision is capped at 8 homes per acre of unconstrained land with public water and sewer.
• Minimum highway frontage is 70 ft, a separate requirement from the 50 ft lot width, and it drops to 28 ft for a flag lot, subject to § 128-48.

Rural Hamlet - Residential subdivision is capped at 4 dwelling units per acre of unconstrained land with public water and public sewer, and multifamily at 6. The front yard is whichever is greater of 30 ft from the right-of-way line and 55 ft from the centre line.

• A nonresidential lot needs 7,500 sq ft and a mixed-use lot 10,000 sq ft.
• Minimum highway frontage is 60 ft, a separate requirement from the 75 ft lot width, and it drops to 28 ft for a flag lot, subject to § 128-48.
• The lot minimums do not apply to a lot created as part of a conservation subdivision or an average density subdivision.
• On a corner lot the side yard facing the side street must equal the required front yard.

Rural Light Industrial - The 1 acre lot, 50 ft width and 150 ft depth are the nonresidential case. A house takes the Residential C figure instead, 8,500 sq ft per dwelling unit, and a mixed-use building also needs 1 acre.

• The front yard is whichever is greater of 50 ft from the right-of-way line and 75 ft from the centre line of the pavement.
• Minimum highway frontage is 50 ft, a separate requirement from the 50 ft lot width, and it drops to 28 ft for a flag lot, subject to § 128-48.
• The lot minimums do not apply to a lot created as part of a conservation subdivision or an average density subdivision.
• On a corner lot the side yard facing the side street must equal the required front yard.

Residential Large Lot - Residential subdivision is capped at one dwelling unit per two acres of unconstrained land. The 2 acre residential minimum is the only lot standard this district publishes.

• The front yard is whichever is greater of 50 ft from the right-of-way line and 75 ft from the centre line of the pavement.
• Minimum highway frontage is 75 ft, a separate requirement from the 100 ft lot width, and it drops to 28 ft for a flag lot, subject to § 128-48.
• The lot minimum does not apply to a lot created as part of a conservation subdivision or an average density subdivision.
• On a corner lot the side yard facing the side street must equal the required front yard.

Riverfront Rural - The 5 acre minimum applies to residential, nonresidential and mixed use alike, so the use does not change how much land is needed. A major residential subdivision is capped at one dwelling unit per five acres of unconstrained land.

• The front yard is whichever is greater of 40 ft from the right-of-way line and 65 ft from the centre line of the pavement.
• Minimum highway frontage is 100 ft, a separate requirement from the 100 ft lot width, and it drops to 28 ft for a flag lot, subject to § 128-48.
• The lot minimums do not apply to a lot created as part of a conservation subdivision or an average density subdivision.
• On a corner lot the side yard facing the side street must equal the required front yard.