Ulster County
Town of New Paltz, NY: zoning for new construction
New Paltz splits into 11 zoning districts, and the residential minimums run from about a tenth of an acre in the village-scale zones up to 3 acres out in the agricultural A-3. The town is friendlier to accessory dwellings than most of its neighbors - an ADU is allowed by right in eight of those districts under §140-17, with owner-occupancy required and a 350 sq ft floor. Short-term rentals aren't banned, but non-owner-occupied ones have to register under Chapter 110, so confirm the fee with the Building Department at (845) 255-0604 before you count on rental income.
Looking specifically at an accessory dwelling unit? See ADU rules for New Paltz →
Zoning districts
| District | Min lot | Setbacks F / S / R | Max height | ADU |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agricultural (A-1.5) | 1.5 ac | 50 / 20 / 50 ft | 35 ft | Occupancy restricted |
| Agricultural (A-3) | 3 ac | 50 / 20 / 50 ft | 35 ft | Occupancy restricted |
| Residential (R-1) | 1.01 ac | 50 / 20 / 50 ft | 35 ft | Occupancy restricted |
| Business-2 (B-2) | 0.17 ac | 35 / - / 25 ft | 40 ft | Special permit |
| Light Industrial (I-1) | 0.34 ac | 50 / 25 / 50 ft | 40 ft | No |
| Floodplain Watershed (FW) | 3 ac | 50 / 25 / 50 ft | 35 ft | Occupancy restricted |
| Floodplain Fringe (FF) | 3 ac | 50 / 25 / 50 ft | 35 ft | Occupancy restricted |
| General Floodplain (GF) | — | 50 / 25 / 50 ft | 35 ft | Occupancy restricted |
| Main Street Mixed Use (MSMU) | 0.17 ac | 25 / 10 / 25 ft | 35 ft | Occupancy restricted |
| Gateway Business (GB) | 0.17 ac | 35 / 20 / 25 ft | 30 ft | Special permit |
| Gateway Hamlet (GH) | 0.11 ac | 15 / 10 / 25 ft | 35 ft | Occupancy restricted |
Agricultural (A-1.5), Agricultural (A-3) - A second coverage rule applies on top of the building coverage: at least 65% of the lot has to stay open space, and impervious surface is capped at 35%.
- Clustering is available in A1.5, A3 and R1 at the Planning Board's discretion under § 121-25 and Town Law § 278.
- It has to be submitted for any subdivision of 15 or more acres, or 4 or more lots.
- It caps the lot yield at the conforming lot count and states no reduced lot minimum of its own.
Residential (R-1) - A 0.5 acre lot is permitted where municipal water and sewer are provided. The minimum lot area is otherwise 1.01 acres as printed in the schedule, not a round acre.
- At least 65% of the site must be left as open space and impervious coverage is capped at 35%.
- Clustering is at the Planning Board's discretion under § 121-25 and Town Law § 278, and must be submitted for any subdivision of 15 or more acres or of four or more lots.
- Clustering caps yield at the conforming lot count and sets no reduced lot minimum of its own.
Business-2 (B-2) - The 35 ft front setback rises to 65 ft in the part of B2 east of the Village of New Paltz boundary. Multiple dwellings are permitted, but on a different set of standards: a 10 acre site, or 5 acres for adaptive reuse.
- Multiple dwellings are held to the R-V standards under § 140-20: 300 ft of lot width, 500 ft of depth, 200 ft of frontage on an arterial or collector road.
- Those multiple-dwelling yards are 75 ft front and 75 ft side or rear, and 100 ft where the lot adjoins a single-family district.
- Land per dwelling unit is set by bedroom count: 2,500 sq ft for a studio, 3,000 for one bedroom, 4,000 for two bedrooms, 5,000 for three and 6,000 for four.
- No side yard is required, but any side yard provided has to be at least 12.5 ft.
- Side and rear yards are 50 ft along the NYS Thruway right-of-way.
- Townhouses are permitted.
Light Industrial (I-1) - A second coverage rule applies on top of the building coverage: at least 35% of the lot has to stay open space, and impervious surface is capped at 65%. Height is also capped at 3 stories.
Floodplain Watershed (FW), Floodplain Fringe (FF) - At least 65% of the lot has to stay open space and impervious surface is capped at 35%. This is a floodplain district, governed by § 140-19 and Chapter 82.
General Floodplain (GF) - The schedule states no minimum lot area for GF. At least 65% of the lot has to stay open space, and impervious surface is capped at 35%.
- This is a floodplain district, governed by § 140-19 and Chapter 82.
Main Street Mixed Use (MSMU) - The 25 ft front setback applies on state roads, and grows by 1 ft for every foot of building height over 25 ft, to a maximum of 40 ft. On local and county roads the front is 0 to 10 ft minimum and 20 ft maximum.
- Every principal building must have at least two occupiable stories, to a maximum of 3.
- Any building's footprint is capped at 7,500 sq ft.
- More than one building is allowed on a lot.
- Impervious coverage is capped at 85% for redevelopment of a developed site and 65% for an undeveloped site.
- Side and rear yards are 50 ft along the NYS Thruway right-of-way.
Gateway Business (GB) - Height is two stories and 30 ft, but a third story to 35 ft is allowed where the building meets LEED silver or higher.
- At least 35% of the lot has to stay open space, and impervious surface is capped at 65%.
- Any building's footprint is capped at 10,000 sq ft.
- Side and rear yards are 50 ft along the NYS Thruway right-of-way.
Gateway Hamlet (GH) - The front setback has a maximum as well as a minimum: 15 ft minimum and 35 ft maximum. At least 30% of the lot has to stay open space, and impervious surface is capped at 70%.
- Any building's footprint is capped at 5,000 sq ft.
- Height is also capped at 3 stories.
Short-term rentals
Short-term rentals allowed with registration. The town requires a rental registration to rent a home short term, under Chapter 110. The same registration covers long-term rentals that are not owner occupied.
Conditions the code attaches:
- The building department can give the current permit fee and requirements, at (845) 255-0604.
Good to know
- UtilityCentral Hudson territory.
- Zoning codeTown of New Paltz Code, Chapter 140, Zoning, § 140-11 Density Control Schedule, last amended 10-3-2019 by L.L. No. 7-2019
- Building dept(845) 255-0604
- Last reviewedApr 2026
Working out a budget? A standard-finish build here runs $206–$270/sq ft , and a conforming lot adds about $2,605 on top - see the full cost to build a house in New Paltz, or what an ADU costs here.
Sizing up a specific parcel in New Paltz?
Aldo pulls the exact zoning district, setbacks, and build feasibility for any parcel — before you buy. Enter your email to open Aldo and run your free report.
Other Ulster County towns
All Ulster County zoning: Kingston (City) · Denning · Esopus · Gardiner · Hardenburgh · Hurley · Lloyd · Marbletown · Marlborough · Olive · Plattekill · Rochester · Rosendale · Saugerties · Shandaken · Shawangunk · Ulster · Wawarsing · Woodstock
Zoning figures for Town of New Paltz 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) 255-0604 before relying on any number. Source: the Offsite / Aldo zoning dataset.