City of Yonkers, NY: zoning for new construction

Planned Urban Redevelopment - The code establishes no PDR district. A planned urban redevelopment is a special use permit available in designated urban renewal areas in any district on a tract of two or more acres (§ 43-72C).

• Such a development need not meet its district's dimensional or use requirements; its dimensions are those of the comprehensive development plan approved by the Planning Board and the City Council.
• What is built under the permit is deemed conforming.
• To learn which district a PDR parcel carries, ask the City of Yonkers Department of Planning and Development.

Detached Single-Family Dwellings - The figures shown are for single- and two-family dwellings. The 0.56 floor area ratio applies only to the first 20,000 sq ft of lot; lot area beyond 20,000 sq ft counts at 0.38.

• On a corner lot, the side front yard is at least 25 ft.
• A detached one- or two-family dwelling must also meet a 45-degree side setback plane that begins 20 ft above each side setback line, with a 35 ft maximum exposed wall height (§ 43-34H).
• A nonresidential use needs a lot of at least 20,000 sq ft and at least 200 ft of width, with a 0.75 floor area ratio.
• A planned cluster development needs a tract of at least 80,000 sq ft and lots of at least 2,500 sq ft, with 40% building coverage of the tract, and keeps the district FAR and lot area per family.
• On an existing lot narrower than 50 ft or shallower than 100 ft, the side and rear yards may be reduced, the rear yard never below 15 ft (§ 43-33K and L).

Detached Single-Family Dwellings - The figures shown are for single- and two-family dwellings. The 0.56 floor area ratio applies only to the first 10,000 sq ft of lot; lot area beyond 10,000 sq ft counts at 0.38.

• On a corner lot, the side front yard is at least 25 ft.
• A detached one- or two-family dwelling must also meet a 45-degree side setback plane that begins 20 ft above each side setback line, with a 35 ft maximum exposed wall height (§ 43-34H).
• A nonresidential use needs a lot of at least 15,000 sq ft and at least 150 ft of width, with a 0.75 floor area ratio.
• A planned cluster development needs a tract of at least 80,000 sq ft and lots of at least 2,500 sq ft, with 40% building coverage of the tract, and keeps the district FAR and lot area per family.
• On an existing lot narrower than 50 ft or shallower than 100 ft, the side and rear yards may be reduced, the rear yard never below 15 ft (§ 43-33K and L).

Detached Single-Family Dwellings - The figures shown are for single- and two-family dwellings. The 0.68 floor area ratio applies only to the first 6,000 sq ft of lot; lot area beyond 6,000 sq ft counts at 0.46.

• On a corner lot, the side front yard is at least 12 ft.
• A detached one- or two-family dwelling must also meet a 45-degree side setback plane that begins 20 ft above each side setback line, with a 35 ft maximum exposed wall height (§ 43-34H).
• A nonresidential use needs a lot of at least 15,000 sq ft and at least 150 ft of width, with a 0.90 floor area ratio.
• A planned cluster development needs a tract of at least 80,000 sq ft and lots of at least 2,500 sq ft, with 40% building coverage of the tract, and keeps the district FAR and lot area per family.
• On an existing lot narrower than 50 ft or shallower than 100 ft, the side and rear yards may be reduced, the rear yard never below 15 ft (§ 43-33K and L).

Detached Single-Family Dwellings - The figures shown are for single- and two-family dwellings. The 0.60 floor area ratio applies only to the first 7,500 sq ft of lot; lot area beyond 7,500 sq ft counts at 0.40.

• On a corner lot, the side front yard is at least 20 ft.
• A detached one- or two-family dwelling must also meet a 45-degree side setback plane that begins 20 ft above each side setback line, with a 35 ft maximum exposed wall height (§ 43-34H).
• A nonresidential use needs a lot of at least 15,000 sq ft and at least 150 ft of width, with a 0.80 floor area ratio.
• A planned cluster development needs a tract of at least 80,000 sq ft and lots of at least 2,500 sq ft, with 40% building coverage of the tract, and keeps the district FAR and lot area per family.
• On an existing lot narrower than 50 ft or shallower than 100 ft, the side and rear yards may be reduced, the rear yard never below 15 ft (§ 43-33K and L).

Detached Single-Family Dwellings - The figures shown are for single- and two-family dwellings. The 0.75 floor area ratio applies only to the first 5,000 sq ft of lot; lot area beyond 5,000 sq ft counts at 0.50.

• On a corner lot, the side front yard is at least 10 ft.
• A detached one- or two-family dwelling must also meet a 45-degree side setback plane that begins 20 ft above each side setback line, with a 35 ft maximum exposed wall height (§ 43-34H).
• A nonresidential use needs a lot of at least 15,000 sq ft and at least 150 ft of width, with a 1.00 floor area ratio.
• A planned cluster development needs a tract of at least 80,000 sq ft and lots of at least 2,500 sq ft, with 40% building coverage of the tract, and keeps the district FAR and lot area per family.
• On an existing lot narrower than 50 ft or shallower than 100 ft, the side and rear yards may be reduced, the rear yard never below 15 ft (§ 43-33K and L).

Apartment Houses, Low-Density - Apartment houses, senior citizen apartment houses, nursing homes and residential health-care facilities need a lot of at least 10,000 sq ft and 100 ft wide and at least 1,000 sq ft of lot per family, with a 1.20 floor area ratio and at most 3 stories and 35 ft.

• The figures shown are for single- and two-family dwellings, with at least 2,500 sq ft of lot per family for a two-family dwelling and at least 5,000 sq ft for a single-family dwelling.
• Those multifamily buildings keep a front yard of at least 25 ft, side yards of at least 25 ft and 50 ft, and a side front yard of at least 25 ft on a corner lot.
• For single- and two-family dwellings, the 1.00 floor area ratio applies to the first 5,000 sq ft of lot; lot area beyond 5,000 sq ft counts at 0.67.
• By special permit, a planned film and educational development follows the MG minimums except for 60% building coverage and a height of four stories or 60 ft, whichever is less.
• A nonresidential use needs a lot of at least 15,000 sq ft and at least 150 ft of width, with at most 3 stories and 36 ft and a 1.00 floor area ratio.
• A detached one- or two-family dwelling must also meet a 45-degree side setback plane that begins 20 ft above each side setback line, with a 35 ft maximum exposed wall height (§ 43-34H).

Two-Family Dwellings - A single-family house needs at least 5,000 sq ft of lot, and a two-family house at least 2,500 sq ft of lot per unit.

• The 1.00 floor area ratio applies to the first 5,000 sq ft of lot; lot area beyond 5,000 sq ft counts at 0.67.
• On a corner lot, the side front yard is at least 10 ft.
• A detached one- or two-family dwelling must also meet a 45-degree side setback plane that begins 20 ft above each side setback line, with a 35 ft maximum exposed wall height (§ 43-34H).
• A nonresidential use needs a lot of at least 15,000 sq ft and at least 150 ft of width.
• A planned cluster development needs a tract of at least 80,000 sq ft and lots of at least 2,500 sq ft, with 40% building coverage of the tract, and keeps the district FAR and lot area per family.
• On an existing lot narrower than 50 ft or shallower than 100 ft, the side and rear yards may be reduced, the rear yard never below 15 ft (§ 43-33K and L).

Apartment Houses, High-Density - Apartment houses, senior citizen apartment houses, nursing homes and residential health-care facilities have a 3.00 floor area ratio, and their height may rise to 1 1/2 times the width of the street right-of-way they front.

• The figures shown are for single- and two-family dwellings, with at least 2,500 sq ft of lot per family for a two-family dwelling and at least 5,000 sq ft for a single-family dwelling.
• Those multifamily buildings keep a front yard of at least 25 ft, side yards of at least 16 ft and 32 ft, and a side front yard of at least 20 ft on a corner lot.
• A nonresidential building follows the same height rule, and a building that fronts more than one street takes its height from the wider one.
• A nonresidential use needs a lot of at least 15,000 sq ft and at least 150 ft of width, with a 1.25 floor area ratio.
• For single- and two-family dwellings, the 1.00 floor area ratio applies to the first 5,000 sq ft of lot; lot area beyond 5,000 sq ft counts at 0.67.
• A detached one- or two-family dwelling must also meet a 45-degree side setback plane that begins 20 ft above each side setback line, with a 35 ft maximum exposed wall height (§ 43-34H).

Apartment Houses, Medium-Density - Apartment houses, senior citizen apartment houses, nursing homes and residential health-care facilities need at least 800 sq ft of lot per family and may reach 65 ft with no story limit, at a 1.25 floor area ratio.

• The figures shown are for single- and two-family dwellings, with at least 2,500 sq ft of lot per family for a two-family dwelling and at least 5,000 sq ft for a single-family dwelling.
• Those multifamily buildings keep a front yard of at least 15 ft, side yards of at least 12 ft and 25 ft, and a side front yard of at least 10 ft on a corner lot.
• For single- and two-family dwellings, the 1.00 floor area ratio applies to the first 5,000 sq ft of lot; lot area beyond 5,000 sq ft counts at 0.67.
• A nonresidential use needs a lot of at least 15,000 sq ft and at least 150 ft of width, with at most 3 stories and 36 ft and a 1.20 floor area ratio.
• A detached one- or two-family dwelling must also meet a 45-degree side setback plane that begins 20 ft above each side setback line, with a 35 ft maximum exposed wall height (§ 43-34H).
• On an existing lot narrower than 50 ft or shallower than 100 ft, the side and rear yards may be reduced, the rear yard never below 15 ft (§ 43-33K and L).

Planned Industrial, Residences Excluded - Buildings on one lot must stand at least 50 ft apart, and on a corner lot the side front yard is at least 50 ft.

• A building or group of buildings with at least 70,000 sq ft of gross floor area is a planned mixed use development under § 43-36L.
• By special permit, a planned executive park on a site of at least 30 acres becomes its own PEP district (§ 43-74D).

Planned Executive Park - Where the approving agency finds that taller buildings better protect the environment and the surrounding residential areas, a building may reach eight stories or 105 ft, whichever is less, within the approved floor area.

• The City Council designates a planned executive park on a site of at least 30 acres in the OL, CM or IP districts after approval of a comprehensive development plan processed as a special use permit.
• Business and commercial uses must stay at least 150 ft from any residential district line and within 16% of the park's floor area.
• Parking stays at least 50 ft from residentially zoned property and at least 25 ft from streets.
• Buildings stand at least 30 ft apart.

Neighborhood Business and Apartment Houses, Medium-Density - The figures shown are for single- and two-family dwellings. A nonresidential use may cover 70% of the lot at a 1.50 floor area ratio, with a front yard of at least 10 ft, a rear yard of at least 25 ft and a height of up to 35 ft.

• A nonresidential side yard may be zero, but is at least 5 ft where the lot abuts a residential district.
• In a building partly in residential use, coverage is 40% on every floor used in whole or in part for residences and 70% on floors used only for nonresidential uses.
• Where only the first floor is nonresidential, the 70% coverage reaches no more than 20 ft above the street.
• A building combining residential and nonresidential uses takes its floor area ratio from the formula in § 43-33M(2), never above 1.50.
• Apartment houses, senior citizen apartment houses, nursing homes and residential health-care facilities have yards of at least 10 ft front and 16 ft and 32 ft side, and a 1.25 floor area ratio.
• For single- and two-family dwellings, the 1.00 floor area ratio applies to the first 5,000 sq ft of lot; lot area beyond 5,000 sq ft counts at 0.67.

General Business and Apartment Houses, High-Density - Height for an apartment house or a nonresidential building may rise to 1 1/2 times the width of the street right-of-way it fronts, and the floor area ratio is 3.00 for apartment houses and 5.00 for nonresidential uses.

• The figures shown are for single- and two-family dwellings, with at least 2,500 sq ft of lot per family for a two-family dwelling and at least 5,000 sq ft for a single-family dwelling.
• Apartment houses, senior citizen apartment houses, nursing homes and residential health-care facilities keep yards of at least 10 ft front, 16 ft and 32 ft side and 20 ft rear.
• A nonresidential use keeps a front yard of at least 10 ft and a rear yard of at least 20 ft and may cover 70% of the lot, and its side yard may be zero.
• In a building partly in residential use, coverage is 40% on every floor used in whole or in part for residences and 70% on floors used only for nonresidential uses.
• Where only the first floor is nonresidential, the 70% coverage reaches no more than 20 ft above the street.
• An apartment house or nonresidential building that fronts more than one street takes its height from the wider one.

Restricted Business, Residences Excluded - Buildings on one lot must stand at least 40 ft apart, and on a corner lot the side front yard is at least 25 ft.

• Height is set in feet only, with no story limit.

Central Business District - Buildings must be at least 2 stories or 25 ft tall, whichever is greater.

• On a designated development site, coverage may reach 100%, height 400 ft and the floor area ratio 6.00, with no required rear yard.
• Apartment houses follow the same coverage, height and floor area ratio, with at least 350 sq ft of gross floor area per apartment.

Downtown Waterfront District - Buildings must be at least 2 stories or 25 ft tall, whichever is greater.

Office Buildings and Research Laboratories, Residences Excluded - Buildings on one lot must stand at least 40 ft apart, and on a corner lot the side front yard is at least 25 ft.

• By special permit, a planned executive park on a site of at least 30 acres in the OL, CM or IP districts becomes its own PEP district (§ 43-74D).

Wholesale Business and Storage - Height is not a fixed figure: a building may rise to 1 1/2 times the width of the street right-of-way it fronts, or of the wider street where it fronts more than one.

• Residences are excluded from the first floor except in predominantly residential buildings (§ 43-11).

Commercial, Storage and Light Manufacturing, Residences Excluded - Buildings on one lot must stand at least 15 ft apart, and on a corner lot the side front yard is at least 20 ft.

• By special permit, a planned executive park on a site of at least 30 acres becomes its own PEP district (§ 43-74D).
• By special permit, a planned neighborhood commercial development in Shopping District 12 keeps a build-to line along at least half the principal street frontage (§ 43-74E).

Industry, Residences Excluded - Height is not a fixed figure: a building may rise to twice the width of the street right-of-way it fronts, or of the wider street where it fronts more than one.

Colleges, Universities and Theological Seminaries, Culture and Arts - Buildings on one lot must stand at least 20 ft apart, and on a corner lot the side front yard is at least 25 ft.

Government Center District - Buildings must be at least 2 stories or 25 ft tall, whichever is greater.

• On a designated development site, no rear yard is required, coverage may reach 100% and height 220 ft.

Planned Multi-Use Development - Residential buildings and hotels may reach 16 stories or 180 ft, whichever is greater; nonresidential buildings other than hotels may reach 7 stories or 90 ft, whichever is greater. Heights are measured from the first-floor elevation.

• Setbacks and other dimensions are those shown on the approved site plan, and setbacks, coverage and floor area ratio are measured treating the whole tract as one lot.
• A mixed-use building counts as residential when at least 20% of its floor area at and above the first floor is residential.
• A floor used only for parking or mechanical equipment is not a story, and parking floors, retail storage and open terraces are left out of floor area.

Ludlow Mixed-Use District - The 65 ft height may be exceeded where Map G allows; above 65 ft a building keeps an upper-story setback of at least 5 ft, and towers stand at least 60 ft apart with at most 12,000 sq ft (residential) or 20,000 sq ft (nonresidential) of footprint.

• Buildings must be at least 25 ft and two stories tall.
• A front setback is not required, but where one is provided it is 5 ft.
• On Block 166 Lot 5 and Block 165 Lots 1, 30 and 31, a building that provides on-site commuter parking may reach 100 ft (§ 43-238C).

Artisans & Industry Special District - Height is not a fixed figure: a building may rise to twice the width of the street right-of-way it fronts, or of the wider street where it fronts more than one.

• The district follows the dimensional regulations of the I district (§ 43-232).
• The district covers Blocks 2071, 2073, 2179 and 2183 (§ 43-231).

Austin Avenue Special Shopping District - The district is developed as a single planned development under a comprehensive development plan approved by the City Council (§ 43-48B).

• No building may stand within 10 ft of a public street or of the district boundary.
• Buildings stand at least 5 ft apart, and parking stays at least 25 ft from any lot in residential use.

South Broadway District - Height and floor area ratio depend on the subdistrict: Central 40 ft and 4.0; Core 50 ft at the base and 80 ft in total, and 3.0; South and North 60 ft at the base and 120 ft in total, and 10.0.

• Apartment houses are permitted only in the Core, South and North subdistricts, where residential uses keep a rear yard of at least 25 ft (§ 43-47E).
• The 10 ft rear yard shown applies to commercial uses.
• In the Core subdistrict, a tower sets back at least 15 ft above 50 ft.
• New buildings meet the average build-to line of the adjacent buildings, and the ground floor facade must be 70% transparent.
• A building portion above 50 ft or four stories, whichever is less, may be at most 100 ft wide along the frontage (§ 43-47C).

Mixed-Use District - In the Map B maximum height district, a building may reach 435 ft on a lot of one acre or more within 1/8 mile of the Yonkers Metro-North station, 300 ft on 1.5 acres or more between 1/8 and 1/3 mile, and 400 ft on four acres or more between 1/3 and 1/2 mile.

• Buildings stand on a 0 ft build-to line at the front and side front, which may step back up to 25 ft for a public plaza or seating area beside a street.
• Buildings must be at least 25 ft and two stories tall, and residential uses keep a rear setback of at least 10 ft.
• Above 66 ft, a building keeps an upper-story setback of at least 5 ft, and towers stand at least 60 ft apart, limited to 12,000 sq ft (residential) or 20,000 sq ft (nonresidential) of footprint.
• Near the Metro-North station, larger allowances apply for two to six towers (§ 43-221B).
• A tract of 1.75 acres or more in the maximum height district may be designated a designated development site and treated as one lot (§ 43-46).
• Map C adds sidewalk-width setbacks on some streets.

Downtown Industrial Research and Technology District - Residential uses are prohibited (§ 43-219B). Buildings stand on a 0 ft build-to line at the front and side front and must be at least 25 ft and two stories tall.

• The build-to line may step back up to 25 ft for a public plaza or seating area beside a street, and Map C adds sidewalk-width setbacks on some streets.
• The 66 ft height may be exceeded where the Map B height district allows, subject to the tower rules of § 43-221B.

Low Density Urban Residential District - The front setback is at least 5 ft and at most 20 ft, and each interior side setback is 10% of the lot width, at least 2.5 ft and never more than 5 ft required.

• The figures shown are for a detached single-family dwelling, and a detached two-family dwelling has the same figures.
• An attached two-family dwelling has interior side setbacks of at least 5 ft and a side front setback of at least 10 ft.
• Townhouses need at least 20 ft of lot width per dwelling unit and never less than 70 ft, and their side setback of at least 5 ft applies only at the end of the development.
• Dwellings must be at least 25 ft tall.
• A corner lot needs a side front setback of at least 5 ft.
• Nonresidential uses have a side front setback of at least 25 ft and no maximum front setback.

Medium Density Urban Residential District - The front setback is at least 5 ft and at most 20 ft, and each interior side setback is 10% of the lot width, at least 2.5 ft and never more than 5 ft required.

• The figures shown are for a detached single-family dwelling, and a detached two-family dwelling has the same figures.
• An attached two-family dwelling has interior side setbacks of at least 5 ft and a side front setback of at least 10 ft, and an apartment house one of at least 10 ft.
• Townhouses need at least 20 ft of lot width per dwelling unit and never less than 70 ft, and their side setback of at least 5 ft applies only at the end of the development.
• Dwellings must be at least 25 ft tall.
• A corner lot needs a side front setback of at least 5 ft.
• Nonresidential uses have a side front setback of at least 25 ft and no maximum front setback.

High Density Urban Residential District - The figures shown are for an apartment house, which stands on a 0 ft front build-to line unless Map C sets a sidewalk-width setback. Buildings must be at least 25 ft and two stories tall.

• The 66 ft height may be exceeded where the Map B height district allows (§ 43-221B).
• On a corner lot the same build-to rule holds for the side front, which runs only to the rear setback line.
• Townhouses need a lot of at least 6,000 sq ft and at least 20 ft of lot width per dwelling unit, never less than 70 ft, and keep a front setback of 5 ft to 20 ft.
• A townhouse's side setback of at least 5 ft applies only at the end of the development.