Ulster County

Town of Hurley, NY: zoning for new construction

9 districts Min residential lot 0.92–4 ac Central Hudson

Hurley runs nine districts and the residential range is wide - A-4 sets a 4-acre minimum at 5% lot coverage, A-2.5 sits at 2.5 acres and 10%, and the R-1, R-2 and Historical districts all land on a 40,000 square foot lot at 15%. If rental income is part of the plan, start here: non-owner-occupied short-term rentals are banned town-wide, and whether an owner-occupied one is allowed is a question for the building department rather than a settled yes. Accessory apartments run the other way and are permitted by right under § 210-24(9), with owner-occupancy required, a 350 square foot floor and a ceiling of 35% of the principal habitable area or 650 square feet, whichever is less, and the principal dwelling itself has to carry at least 1,800 square feet of habitable space before a second unit is available. Central Hudson serves the power; verify your district with the Building Department at (845) 331-7474.

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

Zoning districts

District	Min lot	Setbacks F / S / R	Max height	ADU
A-4 Very-Low-Density Residential	4 ac	50 / 50 / 100 ft	35 ft	Special permit
A-2.5 Low-Density Residential	2.5 ac	50 / 50 / 75 ft	35 ft	Special permit
R-1 Moderate-Density Residential	0.92 ac	50 / 25 / 50 ft	35 ft	Special permit
R-2 Medium-Density Residential	0.92 ac	50 / 25 / 50 ft	35 ft	Special permit
H Historical	0.92 ac	50 / 25 / 50 ft	35 ft	Special permit
NC Neighborhood Commercial	0.92 ac	50 / 25 / 50 ft	35 ft	Special permit
B-1 General Business	0.46 ac	25 / 15 / 50 ft	35 ft	Special permit
B-2 Highway Business	1 ac	40 / 20 / 50 ft	30 ft	No
I-1 Light Industrial	2 ac	40 / 20 / 50 ft	30 ft	No

A-4 Very-Low-Density Residential - In an open space development the Planning Board may allow lots down to 1 acre, at its discretion and not by right, on a tract of at least 25 acres, with the average lot across the subdivision still meeting the district minimum.

At least 50% of the site must be left as green space.
New construction, and additions over 1,000 sq ft, require a visual assessment under § 210-42.
The one-acre floor applies unless the lot is served by central water or sewer, for which no figure is set.
On a corner lot the front-yard standard applies to every street-facing yard (§ 210-14).

A-2.5 Low-Density Residential - In an open space development the Planning Board may allow lots down to 1 acre, at its discretion and not by right, on a tract of at least 25 acres, with the average lot across the subdivision still meeting the district minimum.

A mobile home park needs a site of at least 25 acres, with 100 ft to any public street or adjacent property line, 50 ft between mobile homes and 25% of the gross site kept as open space.
A mobile home park needs site plan approval, and its density is set by the average-density formula in § 210-38 rather than by a per-lot minimum.
At least 40% of the site must be left as green space.
On a corner lot the front-yard standard applies to every street-facing yard (§ 210-14).

R-1 Moderate-Density Residential - The minimum lot drops to 30,000 sq ft with central sewer or water, and to 20,000 sq ft with both; on both the minimum width is 100 ft, the yards fall to 30 ft front, 15 ft side and 30 ft rear, and coverage may reach 25%.

With central sewer or water the yards are 40 ft front, 20 ft side and 40 ft rear, on a 125 ft width.
At least 25% of the site must be left as green space, 20% with central sewer and water.
Side yards for semidetached dwellings are required at the ends of the total structure only (§ 210-18).
On a corner lot the front-yard standard applies to every street-facing yard (§ 210-14).

R-2 Medium-Density Residential - The minimum lot drops to 25,000 sq ft with central sewer or water, and to 12,000 sq ft with both; on both the minimum width is 100 ft, the yards fall to 30 ft front, 15 ft side and 30 ft rear, and coverage may reach 25%.

With central sewer or water the yards are 40 ft front, 20 ft side and 40 ft rear, on a 120 ft width, and coverage may reach 20%.
At least 25% of the site must be left as green space, 20% with central sewer or water and 15% with both.
Side yards for semidetached dwellings are required at the ends of the total structure only (§ 210-18).
On a corner lot the front-yard standard applies to every street-facing yard (§ 210-14).

H Historical - The minimum lot drops to 25,000 sq ft with central sewer or water, and to 12,000 sq ft with both; on both the minimum width is 100 ft, the yards fall to 30 ft front, 15 ft side and 30 ft rear, and coverage may reach 25%.

Bulk standards here are those of the R-2 District.
Architectural design review is required for exterior changes in this Old Hurley hamlet historic district on Main Street and Hurley Avenue.
With central sewer or water the yards are 40 ft front, 20 ft side and 40 ft rear, on a 120 ft width, and coverage may reach 20%.
At least 25% of the site must be left as green space, 20% with central sewer or water and 15% with both.
On a corner lot the front-yard standard applies to every street-facing yard (§ 210-14).

NC Neighborhood Commercial - A residence follows the R-1 District: the minimum lot drops to 30,000 sq ft with central sewer or water and to 20,000 sq ft with both, where the width is 100 ft and coverage may reach 25%.

A nonresidential use follows the B-1 District, with a 20,000 sq ft minimum lot, a 100 ft width, 25 ft front, 15 ft side and 50 ft rear yards and no more than 25% coverage.
With central sewer or water a residence takes 40 ft front, 20 ft side and 40 ft rear yards on a 125 ft width.
At least 25% of the site must be left as green space for a residence, 5% for a nonresidential use.
On a corner lot the front-yard standard applies to every street-facing yard (§ 210-14).
With both services a residence takes 30 ft front and rear yards and 15 ft side yards on a 100 ft width.

B-1 General Business - A one- or two-family dwelling follows the R-1 District: 40,000 sq ft with neither central sewer nor water, 30,000 sq ft with one of them, and 20,000 sq ft with both.

With neither service a house takes a 150 ft width, 50 ft front, 25 ft side and 50 ft rear yards and no more than 15% coverage.
With central sewer or water a house takes a 125 ft width and 40 ft front, 20 ft side and 40 ft rear yards; with both, a 100 ft width and 30 ft front, 15 ft side and 30 ft rear yards.
At least 25% of the site must be left as green space for a residence, 5% for a nonresidential use.
On a corner lot the front-yard standard applies to every street-facing yard (§ 210-14).

B-2 Highway Business - No dwelling is permitted in B2 (210 Attachment 1). At least 10% of the lot must stay green space.

On a corner lot the front-yard standard applies to every street-facing yard (§ 210-14).

I-1 Light Industrial - No dwelling is permitted in I1 (210 Attachment 1). At least 10% of the lot must stay green space.

On a corner lot the front-yard standard applies to every street-facing yard (§ 210-14).
Performance standards under §§ 210-22 and 210-30 apply.

Short-term rentals

Short-term rentals allowed with local rules. A short-term rental is allowed in every zoning district, but only in an owner-occupied one-family or two-family dwelling or accessory dwelling unit that is the owner's principal residence, with the owner on the premises during each rental.

Conditions the code attaches:

An annual short-term rental permit from the Building Department is required, and a property the owner does not occupy cannot be rented short term.
A condominium does not qualify, and the lot must meet the bulk requirements of its district.
One rental party at a time, at most two guests per bedroom and six people per dwelling, not counting children eight and under.
The Town Board may cap the number of permits. Permits run one calendar year and renew on an annual certification that the dwelling is still the owner's domicile.
Fines are up to $250, then $500, then up to $1,000 for repeat violations within five years.
New York State's short-term rental registry requires every host to register the unit. Confirm with the Building Department at (845) 331-7474 before listing.

Municipal source

Good to know

UtilityCentral Hudson territory.
Zoning codeTown of Hurley Code, Chapter 210 (Zoning), § 210-13 Density Control Schedule, last amended 1-21-2018 by L.L. No. 3-2018
Building dept(845) 331-7474
Last reviewedApr 2026

Working out a budget? A standard-finish build here runs $206–$270/sq ft , and a conforming lot adds about $15,087 on top - see the full cost to build a house in Hurley, or what an ADU costs here.

Sizing up a specific parcel in Hurley?

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Other Ulster County towns

All Ulster County zoning: Kingston (City) · Denning · Esopus · Gardiner · Hardenburgh · Lloyd · Marbletown · Marlborough · New Paltz · Olive · Plattekill · Rochester · Rosendale · Saugerties · Shandaken · Shawangunk · Ulster · Wawarsing · Woodstock

Zoning figures for Town of Hurley are compiled from the municipal code (last reviewed Apr 2026) 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) 331-7474 before relying on any number. Source: the Offsite / Aldo zoning dataset.