Sullivan County

Town of Bethel, NY: zoning for new construction

12 districts Min residential lot 2–3 ac NYSEG

Bethel runs twelve districts and most of the land off Route 17B is zoned for real acreage - Agricultural Development at a 5-acre minimum, the Agricultural and Residential Route 17B districts at 3, and Forest Conservation at 5 acres with lot coverage held to 10%. The hamlet district is the outlier at half an acre and 35% coverage, so what you can do with a parcel here swings by an order of magnitude depending on which side of a district line it sits on. Short-term rentals are the open question: the town held a public hearing on a draft STR law in April 2023 and no adoption vote has surfaced since, which is not the same thing as permission, so call the Building Department at (845) 583-4350 before you underwrite rental income. NYSEG serves the power and you're on well and septic across most of the town.

Looking specifically at an accessory dwelling unit? See ADU rules for Bethel →

Zoning districts

District	Min lot	Setbacks F / S / R	Max height	ADU
Airport Development District	5 ac	75 / 25 / 50 ft	35 ft	No
Agricultural District	3 ac	75 / 25 / 50 ft	35 ft	No
Agricultural Residential District	3 ac	75 / 25 / 50 ft	35 ft	No
Highway Commercial District	1 ac	25 / 25 / 25 ft	35 ft	No
Community Settlement District	0.5 ac	25 / 10 / 25 ft	35 ft	No
Forest Conservation District	5 ac	75 / 25 / 50 ft	35 ft	No
Gateway Commercial District	2 ac	50 / 25 / 50 ft	35 ft	No
Hamlet Commercial District	1 ac	25 / 25 / 25 ft	35 ft	No
Performing Arts Center Development District	3 ac	75 / 25 / 50 ft	35 ft	No
Rural Gateway District	3 ac	75 / 25 / 50 ft	35 ft	No
Rural Development District	2 ac	50 / 25 / 50 ft	35 ft	No
Rural Development Residential District	2 ac	50 / 25 / 50 ft	35 ft	No

Airport Development District - No dwelling is permitted here. The base figures describe the by-right uses of this district, transient campgrounds and occasional outdoor commercial recreation: 5 acres, 200 feet of width and depth, 75 feet front, 50 feet rear, 25 feet one side, 75 feet both sides, 35 feet tall.

Schedule I leaves the building coverage cell blank on both by-right rows, so the district publishes no building coverage figure for them.
Light industry, manufacturing, warehousing, research and development, industrial offices, day-care and eating places are special permit uses on 2 acres, with 150 feet of width and 200 feet of depth.
Those special permit uses set back 50 feet front, 50 feet rear, 25 feet on one side and 50 feet for both sides, with 30% building coverage and a 30 foot height limit.
A group home is a special permit use on 3 acres, with 200 feet of width and depth, 75 feet front, 50 feet rear, 25 feet one side, 75 feet both sides, 20% coverage and 35 feet of height.
Hotels and motels are a special permit use on 6 acres, with 400 feet of width and depth, 100 feet front and rear, 50 feet one side, 100 feet both sides, 30% coverage and 35 feet of height.
An airport is a special permit use on 100 acres, with 1,200 feet of width, 1,800 feet of depth, 500 feet front and rear, 250 feet one side, 500 feet both sides and 30% coverage.

Agricultural District, Agricultural Residential District - A one-family detached dwelling is permitted by right on 3 acres, with 200 feet of lot width, 200 feet of lot depth, a 75 foot front setback, a 50 foot rear setback, 25 feet on one side and 75 feet for both sides together, 20% building coverage and a 35 foot height limit.

A manufactured home is also permitted by right in this district on the same 3 acres and the same width, depth, setbacks, coverage and height.
Schedule I lists no two-family dwelling and no multifamily dwelling for this district.

Highway Commercial District - A one-family detached dwelling is permitted by right on 1 acre, with 100 feet of lot width, 150 feet of lot depth, 25 foot front, rear and one side setbacks, 50 feet for both sides together, 25% building coverage and a 35 foot height limit.

A two-family dwelling is permitted by right on 2 acres, with 150 feet of width, 200 feet of depth, 50 feet front, 50 feet rear, 25 feet one side and 50 feet for both sides.
A multifamily dwelling needs a special permit on 4 acres, with 300 feet of width and depth, 75 feet front, 50 feet rear, 50 feet one side and 100 feet for both sides.
Multifamily density is capped at 4 dwelling units per acre, and both of those dwelling types keep 25% building coverage and the 35 foot height limit.
Nonresidential development in this district is also subject to the gateway design guidelines for the state highway corridor.

Community Settlement District - A one-family detached dwelling is permitted by right on 0.5 acre, with 100 feet of lot width, 150 feet of lot depth, a 25 foot front setback, a 25 foot rear setback, 10 feet on one side and 25 feet for both sides together, 30% building coverage and a 35 foot height limit.

A two-family dwelling is permitted by right on 1 acre, with 100 feet of width, 150 feet of depth, 25 feet front and rear, 25 feet one side and 50 feet for both sides.
A multifamily dwelling needs a special permit on 2 acres, with 150 feet of width, 200 feet of depth, 50 feet front, 50 feet rear, 25 feet one side and 50 feet for both sides.
Multifamily density is capped at 4 dwelling units per acre, and both of those dwelling types keep 30% building coverage and the 35 foot height limit.
Nonresidential development in this district is also subject to the gateway design guidelines for the state highway corridor.

Forest Conservation District - A one-family detached dwelling is permitted by right on 5 acres, with 200 feet of lot width, 200 feet of lot depth, a 75 foot front setback, a 50 foot rear setback, 25 feet on one side and 75 feet for both sides together, 10% building coverage and a 35 foot height limit.

Schedule I lists no two-family dwelling and no multifamily dwelling for this district.
A commercial greenhouse is allowed on 5 acres with 300 feet of width and depth, 75 feet front, 75 feet rear, 50 feet one side, 100 feet both sides and 40% building coverage.

Gateway Commercial District - A one-family detached dwelling without public sewer is permitted by right on 2 acres, with 150 feet of lot width, 200 feet of lot depth, 50 feet front, 50 feet rear, 25 feet on one side, 50 feet for both sides, 30% building coverage and a 35 foot height limit.

Where public sewer serves the lot the same dwelling is permitted by right on 0.5 acre, with 100 feet of width and 150 feet of depth.
That served lot sets back 25 feet front, 25 feet rear, 10 feet on one side and 25 feet for both sides, keeping 30% building coverage and the 35 foot height limit.
Schedule I lists no two-family dwelling and no multifamily dwelling for this district.
Nonresidential development in this district is also subject to the gateway design guidelines for the state highway corridor.

Hamlet Commercial District - No dwelling is permitted here. The base figures describe a community building without public sewer, a by-right use of this district: 1 acre, 100 feet of width, 150 feet of depth, 25 feet front, 25 feet rear, 25 feet one side, 50 feet both sides, 35% coverage, 35 feet tall.

On public sewer a community building is permitted by right on 0.5 acre, with 100 feet of width, 150 feet of depth, 25 feet front and rear, 10 feet one side and 25 feet for both sides.
A hotel or motel on public sewer needs a special permit on 2 acres, with 150 feet of width, 200 feet of depth, 50 feet front, 50 feet rear, 25 feet one side and 50 feet for both sides.
A hotel or motel without public sewer needs a special permit on 4 acres, with 300 feet of width and depth, 75 feet front, 50 feet rear, 50 feet one side, 100 feet both sides and 25% building coverage.
Sewer services are readily available around White Lake, where this district sits.
Nonresidential development in this district is also subject to the gateway design guidelines for the state highway corridor.

Performing Arts Center Development District - A one-family detached dwelling without public sewer is permitted by right on 3 acres, with 200 feet of lot width, 200 feet of lot depth, 75 feet front, 50 feet rear, 25 feet on one side, 75 feet for both sides, 25% building coverage and a 35 foot height limit.

Where public sewer serves the lot the same dwelling is permitted by right on 0.5 acre, with 100 feet of width and 150 feet of depth.
That served lot sets back 25 feet front, 25 feet rear, 10 feet on one side and 25 feet for both sides, keeping 25% building coverage and the 35 foot height limit.
A planned unit development needs a special permit on 50 acres, with 600 feet of width and depth, 100 feet front, 100 feet rear, 100 feet one side and 200 feet for both sides.
Schedule I lists no two-family dwelling and no multifamily dwelling for this district.

Rural Gateway District - A one-family detached dwelling is permitted by right on 3 acres, with 200 feet of lot width, 200 feet of lot depth, a 75 foot front setback, a 50 foot rear setback, 25 feet on one side and 75 feet for both sides together, 20% building coverage and a 35 foot height limit.

Schedule I lists no two-family dwelling and no multifamily dwelling for this district.
Nonresidential development in this district is also subject to the gateway design guidelines for the state highway corridor.

Rural Development District - A one-family detached dwelling is permitted by right on 2 acres, with 150 feet of lot width, 200 feet of lot depth, a 50 foot front setback, a 50 foot rear setback, 25 feet on one side and 50 feet for both sides together, 25% building coverage and a 35 foot height limit.

A manufactured home is also permitted by right on the same 2 acres and the same width, depth, setbacks, coverage and height.
A manufactured home park needs a special permit on 25 acres, with 600 feet of width and depth, 200 feet front, 200 feet rear, 100 feet one side and 200 feet for both sides.
Schedule I lists no two-family dwelling and no multifamily dwelling for this district.

Rural Development Residential District - A one-family detached dwelling without public sewer is permitted by right on 2 acres, with 150 feet of lot width, 200 feet of lot depth, 50 feet front, 50 feet rear, 25 feet on one side, 50 feet for both sides, 25% building coverage and a 35 foot height limit.

Where public sewer serves the lot the same dwelling is permitted by right on 0.5 acre, with 100 feet of width, 150 feet of depth, 25 feet front and rear, 10 feet one side and 25 feet for both sides.
A manufactured home is permitted by right on 2 acres without public sewer, or on 0.5 acre with public sewer, on the same width, depth and setbacks as the dwelling.
A manufactured home park needs a special permit on 25 acres, with 600 feet of width and depth, 200 feet front, 200 feet rear, 100 feet one side and 200 feet for both sides.
A multifamily dwelling on public sewer needs a special permit on 2 acres, with 150 feet of width, 200 feet of depth, 50 feet front, 50 feet rear, 25 feet one side and 50 feet for both sides.
A multifamily dwelling without public sewer needs a special permit on 4 acres, with 300 feet of width and depth, 75 feet front, 50 feet rear, 50 feet one side and 100 feet for both sides.
Multifamily density is capped at 4 dwelling units per acre on public sewer and 2 dwelling units per acre without it, and building coverage stays at 25%.

Short-term rentals

Short-term-rental status not confirmed. Short-term rental rules in the Town of Bethel are not confirmed. A short-term rental law was drafted in 2023, but whether it was adopted is not confirmed, so treat this as an open question and confirm with the building department before counting on renting a home short term.

Conditions the code attaches:

A public hearing on the draft law was held in April 2023; ask whether it has since taken effect and what it requires.
Confirm current status with the building department at (845) 583-4350 before marketing or booking a short-term stay.

Good to know

UtilityNYSEG territory.
Zoning codeTown of Bethel Code, Chapter 345 Zoning, 345 Attachment 2, Schedule I: Table of Use and Bulk Requirements
Building dept(845) 583-4350
Last reviewed2026-10-07

Working out a budget? A standard-finish build here runs $195–$256/sq ft , and a conforming lot adds about $21,936 on top - see the full cost to build a house in Bethel, or what an ADU costs here.

Sizing up a specific parcel in Bethel?

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Other Sullivan County towns

All Sullivan County zoning: Callicoon · Cochecton · Delaware · Fallsburg · Forestburgh · Fremont · Highland · Liberty · Lumberland · Mamakating · Neversink · Rockland · Thompson · Tusten · Bloomingburg (Village) · Jeffersonville (Village) · Liberty (Village) · Monticello (Village) · Woodridge (Village)

Zoning figures for Town of Bethel are compiled from the municipal code (last reviewed 2026-10-07) 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 (845) 583-4350 before relying on any number. Source: the Offsite / Aldo zoning dataset.