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Ulster County

City of Kingston, NY: zoning for new construction

12 districts Stretch code Central Hudson

The City of Kingston uses a form-based code, which regulates buildings by physical form and transect zone rather than the use-based districts you'll find in the surrounding towns. If you're building or developing in Kingston, the transect zone matters more than a simple acreage minimum. In the most urban zones like T5 Main Street, front and side setbacks can be zero - buildings come right to the sidewalk to hold the street edge. Confirm the exact transect and standards for your parcel with the City Codes Department before you rely on any figure.

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

Zoning districts

District Min lot Setbacks F / S / R Max height ADU
T5 Main Street (T5-MS) — 0 / 0 / 5 ft — As of right
T5 Flex (T5-F) — 0 / 0 / 10 ft — As of right
T5 Neighborhood (T5N) — 0 / 0 / 5 ft — As of right
T4 Main Street (T4-MS) — 0 / 0 / 10 ft — As of right
T4 Neighborhood-Open (T4N-O) — 5 / 3 / 10 ft — As of right
T4 Neighborhood (T4N) — 10 / 8 / 15 ft — As of right
T3 Neighborhood-Open (T3N-O) — 20 / 8 / 15 ft — As of right
T3 Neighborhood (T3N) — 20 / 8 / 15 ft — As of right
T3 Large Lot (T3L) — 20 / 10 / 20 ft — As of right
T2 Conservation (T2C) — 20 / 15 / 20 ft — As of right
T1 Natural (T1N) — — — No
SD-W Waterfront Special District — 25 / 12 / - ft — No

T5 Main Street (T5-MS) - Building placement follows a build-to zone, with the front wall between 0 and 5 ft of the front line, and the building footprint is capped at 25,000 sq ft.

  • Height is regulated in stories rather than feet, with a maximum of 4 stories.
  • Up to 6 stories are possible on Broadway and the Cornell Corridor under the bonus height incentive in § 405-20.
  • The added stories are earned by meeting the affordable housing standards in § 405-19.
  • Maximum lot width is 200 ft.

T5 Flex (T5-F) - Buildings are capped at 4 stories, or up to 6 stories with a bonus. The front wall has to be placed between 0 and 15 ft from the front line, so front placement is a set range, not just a minimum.

  • The rear setback is 5 ft where the lot abuts an alley.
  • Lot width is capped at a maximum of 150 ft.
  • The added stories are earned under the § 405-20 bonus height incentive by meeting the affordable housing standards in § 405-19.
  • Height is regulated in stories rather than in feet.
  • No maximum building footprint is set.

T5 Neighborhood (T5N) - Height here is set in stories, not feet: 3.5 stories, or 4.5 on the Broadway/Cornell Corridor. Any building's footprint is capped at 10,000 sq ft, and lot width at 100 ft.

  • Front placement is a build-to range of 0 to 10 ft.
  • The story ceiling can rise under the § 405-20 bonus height incentive, which is earned through the § 405-19 affordable housing standards.
  • A ceiling of 5.5 stories with that bonus is also published for this district, and how it squares with the 4.5 stories on the corridor is not confirmed.

T4 Main Street (T4-MS) - Buildings here are capped at three stories and a 6,000 square foot footprint, and lot width is capped at 150 ft. Height is set in stories rather than feet.

  • The front of the building must sit between 0 and 5 ft of the front lot line.
  • The rear setback drops to 5 ft where the lot backs on an alley.
  • A fourth story is available through the bonus height incentive in § 405-20, earned by meeting the affordable housing standards in § 405-19.

T4 Neighborhood-Open (T4N-O) - Building size is capped twice: coverage of 70% and a maximum footprint of 5,000 sq ft. Height is set in stories rather than feet, with 2.5 stories allowed and up to 3.5 stories under a bonus.

  • The front setback is contextual with neighboring buildings, or 5 to 15 ft.
  • The rear setback is 10 ft to a lot line but 5 ft where the rear is served by an alley.
  • The 3 ft side setback is the midblock minimum.
  • The taller story ceiling is earned under the § 405-20 bonus height incentive, through the affordable housing standards in § 405-19.

T4 Neighborhood (T4N) - Building footprint is capped at 4,000 sq ft, on top of the 70% building coverage limit. Height is regulated in stories rather than feet, with a maximum of 2.5 stories.

  • The front setback is contextual, or 10 to 25 ft, so the 10 ft figure is not the only outcome.
  • The 8 ft side setback is a midblock minimum and is contextual.
  • Story limits can rise under the bonus height incentive in § 405-20, earned by meeting the affordable housing standards in § 405-19.

T3 Neighborhood-Open (T3N-O) - Buildings are capped at a 4,000 sq ft footprint, and lots are limited to a maximum width of 100 ft. Height is set in stories rather than feet, with 2.5 stories the maximum.

  • Up to 3.5 stories is possible under the bonus height incentive of § 405-20, which is earned through the affordable housing standards in § 405-19.
  • The front setback is contextual, with the 20 ft minimum applying where there are no adjacent buildings.
  • The 8 ft side setback is a contextual midblock minimum.

T3 Neighborhood (T3N) - Height here is set in stories, not feet: 2.5 stories, with no bonus height available. Any building's footprint is capped at 4,000 sq ft, and lot width at 100 ft.

  • The front setback is contextual, and the 20 ft minimum applies where there are no adjacent buildings.
  • The 8 ft side minimum is the midblock standard.

T3 Large Lot (T3L) - Buildings are capped at a 4,000 square foot footprint and 2.5 stories, and height here is regulated in stories rather than feet. On a corner, the street-side setback is 20 ft instead of the 10 ft midblock side setback.

  • The front setback is a 20 ft minimum, or it may be set contextually to match the block.
  • Additional stories can be earned through the bonus height incentive in § 405-20, which is tied to the affordable housing standards in § 405-19.

T2 Conservation (T2C) - Building footprint here is capped at 4,000 square feet, and buildings are limited to 2.5 stories. Height is regulated in stories rather than feet.

  • Where a side lot line runs along a street, the setback on that side is 20 ft.
  • The story limit can rise under the bonus height incentive in § 405-20, which is earned by meeting the affordable housing standards in § 405-19.
  • The district is intended for low-density conservation character.

T1 Natural (T1N) - T1 Natural is set aside for open space and natural resource preservation, and no residential construction is permitted here.

  • Civic buildings are allowed only with City approval.
  • Height in this district is set in stories rather than feet, so no height in feet is published.
  • Story limits can rise under the bonus height incentive in § 405-20, which is earned through the affordable housing standards in § 405-19.

SD-W Waterfront Special District - The Waterfront Mixed-Use overlay is available only by major site plan approval. It puts a build-to zone of 10 ft to 25 ft in place of the front setback, takes the mid-block side setback to zero, cuts the waterfront setback to 20 ft, and sets aside the 1.2 floor area ratio.

  • A waterfront setback of 30 ft applies in addition to the yards shown.
  • The overlay allows 3 to 4 stories plus a bonus, against up to 2.5 stories otherwise, and caps the building footprint at 20,000 sq ft.
  • The overlay is given in exchange for a 20 ft waterfront public access easement and 40 ft side public access easements aligned with existing street intersections.
  • An applicant must show that site conditions, including environmental constraints and bulkhead condition, support the development.
  • The 12 ft side setback shown is the mid-block figure, and height here is set in stories rather than feet.

Short-term rentals

Short-term rentals allowed with registration. Short term rental is allowed in Kingston with an annual permit, and renting is capped at 120 nights per calendar year.

Conditions the code attaches:

Municipal source

Good to know

Working out a budget? A standard-finish build here runs $206–$270/sq ft - see the full cost to build a house in Kingston, or what an ADU costs here.

Sizing up a specific parcel in Kingston?

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Other Ulster County towns

Zoning figures for City of Kingston 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) 334-3902 before relying on any number. Source: the Offsite / Aldo zoning dataset.

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