Village of Athens, NY: zoning for new construction

Residential Low-Density District - The 3 acre minimum applies only where there is neither public water nor sewer. With both public water and sewer, the minimum lot drops to 20,000 square feet (0.4591 acre) on 100 ft of lot width.

• With public water but no sewer, the minimum lot is 1.5 acres, and the 150 ft lot width still applies.
• The 20 ft front, side and rear yards and the 30 ft height stay the same at every level of water and sewer service.
• An accessory structure is limited to 21 ft in height, against 30 ft for the main building.

Recreational Residential District - The 3 acre minimum applies where there is neither public water nor public sewer. With both public water and sewer, the minimum lot drops to 14,000 square feet (0.3214 acre) on 100 ft of width rather than 150 ft.

• With public water but no sewer, the minimum lot is 1.5 acres and the 150 ft lot width still applies.
• An accessory structure is limited to 21 ft in height, against 30 ft for the main building.

Residential Medium-Density District - Both a single-family and a two-family dwelling are permitted. The minimum lot size of 14,000 square feet applies whatever service reaches the lot, with no smaller figure for lots on public water or sewer.

• An accessory structure is limited to 21 ft in height, against 30 ft for the main building.
• The 10 ft side yard is the figure for one side.

Commercial Residential District - No lot area, lot width or setback figures are set for this district. Each of those must instead be compatible with surrounding properties, a judgment the Planning Board makes on site plan review.

• The schedule allows replacement in kind.
• Since the dimensions turn on what neighbouring properties look like rather than on published numbers, confirm what will be accepted with the village before designing.

Commercial District - The front yard is not a set dimension in the C district: the schedule calls for a front yard compatible with the area, so depth follows what neighbouring buildings do. Confirm the expected front yard with the building department before designing.

• Single-family and two-family dwellings are permitted here alongside the commercial uses.
• The minimum lot area is stated in the code as 20,000 square feet.

Mixed Use Waterfront District - Every use in this district goes through site plan review, so meeting the figures shown is only the starting point for approval.

• Where a special use permit is required, § 250-33 sets additional standards for the waterfront and mixed use waterfront districts.

Waterfront District - Where public water and sewer serve the lot, the waterfront minimum drops to 14,000 square feet (0.3214 acre) on 75 ft of width; without them the five acres on 150 ft shown here is what binds.

• The 25 ft rear yard is measured from the mean high water line, not from a lot line, so the river rather than the boundary sets it.
• Single-family homes are allowed only under § 210-34 and only with site plan review.
• The district is otherwise for waterfront-dependent uses, marinas, restaurants with river access and public recreation.