Village of Alden, NY: zoning for new construction

Residential Commercial District - The side yard shown is the one-storey case and it widens with the building: at least 6 ft each side for a one- or one-and-a-half-storey dwelling, 8 ft for a two-storey, and 10 ft for any other main building.

• Multifamily is priced by bedroom mix: the first four units cost 5,000 sq ft each and the rest 2,500, rising to 6,000 and 3,000 where more than a tenth of the units have three or more bedrooms
• The lot may never be under 20,000 sq ft for a multifamily dwelling
• The front yard is measured from the edge of the right-of-way rather than the property line, so on a street with a wide right-of-way the buildable area starts further back
• The rear yard is 25% of the lot depth and need not exceed 50 ft, so the figure shown is a cap that binds only on a lot deeper than 200 ft
• A multifamily dwelling needs 600 sq ft per family plus a further 100 sq ft for each roomer, boarder or tourist
• Condominiums, cooperatives, mobile home parks and patio homes need a special permit of the Board of Trustees

Business District - The front yard is a band, at least 5 ft and at most 15 ft from the edge of the right-of-way, and the district also sets a minimum building height of 20 ft for every part of the facade facing a public street.

• The side yard rises to 30 ft, or the height of the principal building if that is greater, where it abuts a lot in a residential district
• A side yard used for vehicular ingress or egress is 15 ft, and 30 ft where used for both
• The rear yard rises from 10 ft to 30 ft against a residential district
• A corner lot needs 30,000 sq ft and 150 ft of width
• A dwelling unit is permitted only as an accessory use and never on the ground floor
• The front yard is measured from the edge of the right-of-way rather than the property line, so on a street with a wide right-of-way the buildable area starts further back

Commercial District - Where the building is a dwelling, the R-C figures apply instead of the ones shown, including its two-tier pricing for multifamily. One- and two-family dwellings and mobile home parks are excluded here.

• The side yard rises to 30 ft, or the height of the principal building if that is greater, where it abuts a lot in a residential district
• A side yard used for vehicular ingress or egress is 15 ft, and 30 ft where used for both
• The rear yard rises from 10 ft to 30 ft against a residential district
• A corner lot needs 30,000 sq ft and 150 ft of width
• The front yard is measured from the edge of the right-of-way rather than the property line, so on a street with a wide right-of-way the buildable area starts further back

Commercial/Light Industrial District - The side yard shown is the one-storey case: at least 10 ft for a one-storey building, 20 ft for a two-storey and 15 ft for any other main building, and 50 ft whatever the storey count where it abuts a residential district.

• The rear yard is 25% of the lot depth and need not exceed 50 ft, so the figure shown is a cap that binds only on a lot deeper than 200 ft
• Against a residential district the rear yard is a flat 50 ft
• A lot needs at least 20,000 sq ft on a 100 by 200 ft envelope, or at least 30,000 sq ft on 150 by 200 for a corner lot
• Manufacturing and industrial uses must be contained wholly inside buildings
• The front yard is measured from the edge of the right-of-way rather than the property line, so on a street with a wide right-of-way the buildable area starts further back

Industrial District - The front yard rises from 30 ft to 50 ft where it is used for off-street parking or where the lot lies opposite a residential district, and the side and rear yards both rise to 50 ft where they abut one.

• The code sets no minimum lot area in this district
• Height is three storeys and 50 ft, but the Village Board may permit a greater height
• Junkyards are permitted subject to Chapter 120
• Unobjectionable manufacturing or processing needs a special permit of the Board of Trustees
• The front yard is measured from the edge of the right-of-way rather than the property line, so on a street with a wide right-of-way the buildable area starts further back