Greene County
Town of Jewett, NY: zoning for new construction
Residential lots in the Town of Jewett run from a 1.5-acre minimum in Hamlet Residential District up to 3 acres in Rural Conservation District, across 4 zoning districts in all. 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 (518) 263-4646 before you rely on a figure.
Looking specifically at an accessory dwelling unit? See ADU rules for Jewett →
Zoning districts
| District | Min lot | Setbacks F / S / R | Max height | ADU |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hamlet Residential District | 1.5 ac | 50 / 30 / 30 ft | 35 ft | Occupancy restricted |
| Rural Residential District | 2.5 ac | 75 / 50 / 50 ft | 35 ft | Occupancy restricted |
| Rural Conservation District | 3 ac | 75 / 50 / 50 ft | 35 ft | Occupancy restricted |
| Conservation District | 5 ac | 75 / 75 / 75 ft | 35 ft | Occupancy restricted |
Hamlet Residential District - The yard figures are distances from a building to a lot line or to the highway center line, so on a lot fronting a highway the front yard is measured from the middle of the road rather than from the property line.
- Minimum lot width here is 100 feet.
- A building is held to 35 feet or three stories, whichever is the lesser height.
- The chapter publishes no lot coverage limit for any district in this town.
- Any use not specifically allowed as of right or as a special use is prohibited.
- A one- and two-family dwelling is a permitted use here, and this is the only district where a multiple-family dwelling is listed at all, as a special use.
Rural Residential District - The yard figures are distances from a building to a lot line or to the highway center line, so on a lot fronting a highway the front yard is measured from the middle of the road rather than from the property line.
- Minimum lot width here is 200 feet.
- A building is held to 35 feet or three stories, whichever is the lesser height.
- The chapter publishes no lot coverage limit for any district in this town.
- Any use not specifically allowed as of right or as a special use is prohibited.
- A one-family dwelling is a permitted use here; a two-family dwelling and a mobile home are special uses.
Rural Conservation District - The yard figures are distances from a building to a lot line or to the highway center line, so on a lot fronting a highway the front yard is measured from the middle of the road rather than from the property line.
- Minimum lot width here is 200 feet.
- A building is held to 35 feet or three stories, whichever is the lesser height.
- The chapter publishes no lot coverage limit for any district in this town.
- Any use not specifically allowed as of right or as a special use is prohibited.
- This district takes land with moderate to severe soil limitations or slopes of 15% to 30%, and the law has it develop at a lower density than Rural Residential for that reason.
Conservation District - The yard figures are distances from a building to a lot line or to the highway center line, so on a lot fronting a highway the front yard is measured from the middle of the road rather than from the property line.
- Minimum lot width here is 400 feet.
- A building is held to 35 feet or three stories, whichever is the lesser height.
- The chapter publishes no lot coverage limit for any district in this town.
- Any use not specifically allowed as of right or as a special use is prohibited.
- A one- and two-family dwelling is a special use in this district rather than a permitted one, so a house here needs a special use permit from the Planning Board.
Short-term rentals
Short-term rentals allowed with local rules. A registered short-term rental is a permitted use in all four of the town's zoning districts, subject to annual registration with the Town Clerk on or before January 31. Occupancy is fixed at registration, and no guests or visitors are allowed at the property.
Conditions the code attaches:
- Registration under § 165-21.5 is on a form and for a fee set by Town Board resolution; confirm the current fee with the town at (518) 263-4646.
- The registration certificate and an information sheet must be posted conspicuously inside the unit.
- Each rental needs a written garbage disposal plan naming the disposal company, posted inside and filed with the Code Enforcement Officer.
- The posted notice must also carry the town's noise limits, including no outside music after 9 p.m., and a reminder not to feed or attract wildlife.
- Three violations in 12 months or four in 24 months can trigger suspension or revocation of the certificate, and violations may also be prosecuted as zoning violations.
- Greene County runs a free short-term rental registration, and New York State collects sales tax on short-term rental transactions.
Good to know
- UtilityCentral Hudson territory.
- Zoning codeTown of Jewett Code, Chapter 165 Zoning, §§ 165-9 to 165-12 district regulations
- Building dept(518) 263-4646
- Last reviewed2026-10-05
Working out a budget? A standard-finish build here runs $197–$259/sq ft , and a conforming lot adds about $23,456 on top - see the full cost to build a house in Jewett, or what an ADU costs here.
Sizing up a specific parcel in Jewett?
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Other Greene County towns
All Greene County zoning: Athens · Cairo · Catskill · Coxsackie · Greenville · Halcott · Lexington · New Baltimore · Athens (Village) · Catskill (Village) · Coxsackie (Village) · Hunter (Village) · Tannersville (Village)
Zoning figures for Town of Jewett are compiled from the municipal code (last reviewed 2026-10-05) and provided for decision-support only - not legal, engineering, or architectural advice. Setback and dimensional standards often carry conditions and exceptions; verify with the building department at (518) 263-4646 before relying on any number. Source: the Offsite / Aldo zoning dataset.