Town of Lancaster, NY: zoning for new construction

Agricultural-Residential - The three-acre minimum is per dwelling unit, so every dwelling unit on the lot needs three acres of its own. Neither side yard is a fixed number: each is the lesser of 10% of the lot width or 10 ft, and the two together the lesser of 25% of the lot width or 25 ft.

• The 25% coverage cap is for the principal use, and an accessory use may add ten points on top
• A house of two storeys or more needs 1,100 sq ft rather than 900 sq ft
• A principal building other than a dwelling takes the greater of 15 ft or half its height, or the greater of 30 ft or its height where the yard abuts an agricultural, single-family or multifamily lot
• Where half a block is already built, the front yard becomes the average of the existing houses on either side
• An accessory building stops at 16 ft and 1,250 sq ft, and must sit 15 ft off a side line and 60 ft off the front; barns, silos and other farm accessory structures may reach 65 ft
• A corner lot has two front yards, one facing each street, only one side yard, and the rear yard is whichever yard is opposite the front face

Single-Family Residential - The 15,000 sq ft is per dwelling unit, not per lot, and a public-sewer corner lot needs at least 15,625. Width is the figure sewer moves: 100 ft on public sewer, 125 ft on a public-sewer corner lot and 150 ft with no public sewer.

• Neither side yard is a fixed number: each is the lesser of 10% of the lot width or 10 ft, and the two together the lesser of 25% of the lot width or 25 ft.
• A principal building that is not a dwelling takes the greater of 15 ft or half its height, rising to the greater of 30 ft or its full height beside an agricultural, single-family or multifamily lot.
• A house of more than one storey needs 1,200 sq ft rather than 1,000.
• The 35% coverage cap is for the principal use and an accessory use may add five points; an accessory building stops at 16 ft and 750 sq ft.
• Where an easement crosses the lot the yard is measured from the edge of the easement rather than from the property line, whichever is the more restrictive.
• Where half a block is already built, the front yard becomes the average of the existing houses on either side.

Multifamily Residential - Two land figures apply at once and the larger one is the density driver: a lot must be at least 3,000 sq ft for each attached dwelling unit, but the scheme as a whole must devote 4,300 sq ft of gross land to each attached unit, excluding perimeter public streets.

• A detached unit on its own lot falls back to the single-family district in full, and any other detached unit needs at least 7,500 sq ft with a 10 ft side yard.
• Against a non-residential neighbour the side and rear yards fall to 20 ft.
• Minimum dwelling size runs 400 sq ft for a studio, 640 for one bedroom, 760 for two and 1,000 for three, with a further 180 sq ft for each bedroom beyond that.
• No main or longitudinal wall in a row of units may run more than 132 ft without a 90-degree offset of at least 10 ft, and no wall may aggregate more than 176 ft excluding offsets.
• Principal structures must stand 30 ft apart, and the 40% coverage cap is for the principal use, with an accessory use adding five points.
• A corner lot has two front yards, one facing each street, and only one side yard; the rear yard is whichever yard is opposite the front face.

Mixed Use, Light Commercial - The side and rear yards are priced by the neighbour: 25 ft against another non-residential lot, which is the figure shown, and 50 ft against a residential district.

• Parking, loading and stacking areas stand 20 ft back from a dedicated street and the whole of that front area must be landscaped; they take 25 ft against a residential district and 10 ft otherwise.
• Buildings on the same site must stand 30 ft apart, and every use except signs, landscaping and parking must be completely enclosed.
• No coverage cap is set for this district.
• Where half a block is already built, the front yard becomes the average of the existing buildings on either side.
• A corner lot has two front yards, one facing each street, and only one side yard; the rear yard is whichever yard is opposite the front face.

General Commercial - The figures shown are the low tier against a non-residential neighbour; against a residential district the side and rear yards are 50 ft. Every yard steps up once the building passes 30 ft: the front from 60 ft to 75, the side and rear from 15 ft to 25, and from 50 ft to 75.

• Parking, loading and stacking areas stand 20 ft back from a dedicated street, 25 ft from a residential district and 10 ft otherwise.
• Buildings on the same site must stand 30 ft apart, and every use except signs, landscaping and parking must be completely enclosed.
• No coverage cap is set for this district.
• A corner lot has two front yards, one facing each street, and only one side yard; the rear yard is whichever yard is opposite the front face.

Light Industrial - Thirty-five feet is the by-right ceiling here, not 65: a building over 35 ft needs a special use permit, so the taller figure is reachable only through a discretionary approval.

• Every yard steps up once the building passes 30 ft: the front from 30 ft to 75, the side and rear from 15 ft to 25 against a non-residential lot, and from 50 ft to 75 against a residential district.
• The side and rear yards shown are the figures against a non-residential neighbour; against a residential district they are 50 ft.
• Parking, loading and stacking areas stand 20 ft back from a dedicated street, 50 ft from a residential district and 10 ft otherwise.
• Buildings on the same site must stand 30 ft apart, and all manufacturing or processing must be completely enclosed.
• No coverage cap is set for this district.
• A corner lot has two front yards, one facing each street, and only one side yard; the rear yard is whichever yard is opposite the front face.

General Industrial - Thirty-five feet is the by-right ceiling here, not 65: a building over 35 ft needs a special use permit, so the taller figure is reachable only through a discretionary approval.

• Every yard steps up once the building passes 30 ft: the front from 40 ft to 75, the side and rear from 15 ft to 25 against a non-residential lot, and from 50 ft to 75 against a residential district.
• The side and rear yards shown are the figures against a non-residential neighbour; against a residential district they are 50 ft.
• Parking, loading and stacking areas stand 20 ft back from a dedicated street, 50 ft from a residential district and 10 ft otherwise.
• Buildings on the same site must stand 30 ft apart, and all manufacturing or processing must be completely enclosed.
• No coverage cap is set for this district.
• A corner lot has two front yards, one facing each street, and only one side yard; the rear yard is whichever yard is opposite the front face.