Dutchess County

Village of Rhinebeck, NY: zoning for new construction

5 districts Min residential lot 0.18 ac Central Hudson

The Village of Rhinebeck sets a residential minimum of about 0.18 acres in Residential, one of its 5 zoning districts. Short-term rentals allowed with local rules. Power here is Central Hudson territory. The district table below has the setbacks, height limits and coverage - confirm the specifics with the building department at (845) 876-7039 before you rely on a figure.

Looking specifically at an accessory dwelling unit? See ADU rules for Rhinebeck →

Zoning districts

District	Min lot	Setbacks F / S / R	Max height	ADU
Village Center	0.092 ac	0 / 0 / 10 ft	40 ft	Special permit
Residential	0.18 ac	10 / 10 / 10 ft	35 ft	Special permit
Gateway Business	0.34 ac	20 / 20 / 10 ft	35 ft	No
Medical and Professional	0.18 ac	10 / 10 / 10 ft	35 ft	Special permit
Fairgrounds	3 ac	25 / 25 / 25 ft	35 ft	No

Village Center - The front yard is a build-to range: a building may sit no more than 5 ft back from the street, and no more than 25 ft from the side lot line.

Inside the Special Sensitivity Overlay the front yard is 10 ft minimum and 25 ft maximum, with a 10 ft minimum side yard and no side maximum.
Minimum lot frontage is 40 ft.
Where a district boundary separates two properties, the larger of the two required yards applies to both (§ 120-10).
Eaves and similar building features may project up to 3 ft into the front yard.
A sight triangle must be kept clear 25 ft in both directions from a street corner and 10 ft from a driveway curb cut (§§ 120-11, 120-12).

Residential - The front yard is a build-to range, so a building may sit no more than 25 ft back from the street. The Planning Board may instead let a structure be built anywhere within the setbacks of the two adjacent structures on the same side of the street.

Under that Planning Board option, a corner lot may average the adjacent lot on each side.
Parcels in the Bulkeley Schoolhouse Overlay District follow the dimensional standards at § 120-39.1D instead.
Minimum lot frontage is 60 ft.
Where a district boundary separates two properties, the larger of the two required yards applies to both (§ 120-10).
Eaves and similar building features may project up to 3 ft into the front yard.
A sight triangle must be kept clear 25 ft in both directions from a street corner and 10 ft from a driveway curb cut (§§ 120-11, 120-12).

Gateway Business - The front yard is a build-to range of 20 ft minimum and 40 ft maximum, so a building may not be set further back than 40 ft.

Minimum lot frontage is 75 ft.
Where a district boundary separates two properties, the larger of the two required yards applies to both (§ 120-10).
Eaves and similar building features may project up to 3 ft into the front yard.
A sight triangle must be kept clear 25 ft in both directions from a street corner and 10 ft from a driveway curb cut (§§ 120-11, 120-12).

Medical and Professional - The front yard is a build-to range of 10 ft minimum and 25 ft maximum, so a building may not be set further back than 25 ft.

Minimum lot frontage is 70 ft.
Where a district boundary separates two properties, the larger of the two required yards applies to both (§ 120-10).
Eaves and similar building features may project up to 3 ft into the front yard.
A sight triangle must be kept clear 25 ft in both directions from a street corner and 10 ft from a driveway curb cut (§§ 120-11, 120-12).

Fairgrounds - The 25 ft front setback is the Route 9 setback and rises to 75 ft where the parcel is next to a residential district. Beside the 20% building coverage cap, impervious coverage, which parking and drives count against, is capped at 40%.

Minimum lot frontage is 200 ft.
Every building and zoning permit needs site plan approval under Article XI.
Improvements and lot lines shown on the As-Built Survey and Fairgrounds District Map are deemed conforming.
The buffer zone on that map allows only temporary parking, roads and driveways, and new utility lines there must go underground.
Where a district boundary separates two properties, the larger of the two required yards applies to both (§ 120-10).

Short-term rentals

Short-term rentals allowed with local rules. Short-term rentals need an annual permit and Planning Board approval under § 120-17.1, and only an owner-occupied primary residence qualifies. The village issues at most 15 permits a year.

Conditions the code attaches:

Rentals are capped at 16 days a year, with at least 7 days between bookings.
An unhosted rental needs a designated local property manager available 24/7.
A 2-bedroom unit may host at most 6 guests.
Contact the Village Clerk at (845) 876-7039.

Good to know

UtilityCentral Hudson territory.
Zoning codeVillage of Rhinebeck Zoning, Ch. 120, § 120-8 Dimensional Table (Local Law No. 3-2017)
Building dept(845) 876-7039
Last reviewed2026-08-16

Working out a budget? A standard-finish build here runs $215–$282/sq ft , and a conforming lot adds about $13,308 on top - see the full cost to build a house in Rhinebeck, or what an ADU costs here.

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