Village of Pittsford, NY: zoning for new construction

Low Density Residential - The 25% cap is on gross impervious surface, so the driveway, walks and patio count against it alongside the house. The minimum ground floor shrinks as the house gets taller: 1,600 sq ft for one storey, 1,400 sq ft for one and a half and 1,000 sq ft for two.

• A nonresidential use needs a special permit and takes 25,000 sq ft on 100 ft of width with a 15 ft side yard.
• The front yard may instead be the average between developed lots adjacent to the property, so on a built-up street the neighbours may set the line.
• A larger side and rear yard applies to a nonresidential use adjacent to a residential use; the figures shown are for the residential case.
• No more than one accessory storage building per lot, excluding a private garage, of up to 120 sq ft, kept out of the front and side yards and at least 10 ft behind the principal building.
• Accessory structures need 3 ft side and rear yards, are capped at 12 ft and may never exceed the height of the primary structure.
• The lot depth shown is a minimum average lot depth.

Medium Density Residential - A single-family detached house and a home occupation are permitted here, while two-family, single-family attached, multifamily, bed-and-breakfast and accessory dwelling unit uses are barred. The 25% cap is on gross impervious surface, driveway and patio included.

• A nonresidential use takes 20,000 sq ft on 100 ft of width and owes 15 ft at the side beside a residential use; only a place of worship and a school are reachable, both by special permit.
• The minimum ground floor shrinks as the house gets taller: 1,200 sq ft for one storey, 1,000 sq ft for one and a half and 750 sq ft for two.
• The front yard may instead be the average between developed lots adjacent to the property, so on a built-up street the neighbours may set the line.
• A larger side and rear yard applies to a nonresidential use adjacent to a residential use; the figures shown are for the residential case.
• No more than one accessory storage building per lot, excluding a private garage, of up to 120 sq ft, kept out of the front and side yards and at least 10 ft behind the principal building.
• Accessory structures need 3 ft side and rear yards, are capped at 12 ft and may never exceed the height of the primary structure.

Limited Office Residential - A two-family dwelling is permitted by right on the same minimum lot as a single-family house, and this is the only district in the village that permits one. The 50% cap is on gross impervious surface, so the driveway, walks and patio count against it.

• A nonresidential use takes 12,000 sq ft on 80 ft of width, the lowest nonresidential lot minimum in the village, and owes 15 ft at the side and 35 ft at the rear beside a residential use.
• A bed-and-breakfast and a hospice, nursing home or assisted-living facility need a special permit.
• The front yard may instead be the average between developed lots adjacent to the property, so on a built-up street the neighbours may set the line.
• No more than one accessory storage building per lot, excluding a private garage, of up to 120 sq ft, kept out of the front and side yards and at least 10 ft behind the principal building.
• Accessory structures need 3 ft side and rear yards, are capped at 12 ft and may never exceed the height of the primary structure.

Residential (R-5) - Lot width must be not less than 30 ft and not more than 40 ft, so a wide lot is as non-conforming as a narrow one, and the lot is controlled by width and depth rather than area. All new construction is subject to site plan review and the district Regulating Plan.

• Multiple dwellings, condominiums and apartments need a special permit, only within 100 ft of the canal edge, at a maximum of 25 dwelling units per acre.
• No building may exceed 4 1/2 storeys and no more than half the footprint within a complex may exceed 3 1/2 storeys; larger buildings must be divided into sections no longer than 150 ft.
• Height is 2 1/2 storeys or 35 ft, whichever is less, and a residence must be at least 1 1/2 storeys tall.
• One-family detached and semidetached dwellings are permitted by right, the 5 ft side yard applies only without a shared party wall, and the 700 sq ft ground floor applies to a two-storey building.
• Buildings must face the street with the primary facade and connect to the village sidewalk system.
• Garage doors are barred from the street-facing facade and a freestanding garage must sit behind the residence; one driveway is permitted, up to 10 ft wide for one car or 18 ft for two.