In order to fulfill the purpose of these regulations, the Town
of Saugerties establishes and is hereby divided into the following
zoning districts for the intent indicated:
A. LDR Low-Density Residential District. This district is intended to
protect large contiguous more remote areas of the Town which contain
significant aggregations of natural and historic resources. The intent
is to maintain rural characteristics by limiting the amount of land
disturbed by grading for development and to maintain a density compatible
with these characteristics.
B. MDR Moderate-Density Residential District. This district is intended
to extend the benefit of rural environment while living relatively
close to educational, cultural, recreational, business, employment,
transportation, and other compatible and interdependent land uses
where county and state highways are easily accessible. Small-scale
convenience businesses designed to serve the adjacent residential
population and certain cultural, educational and recreational uses
compatible with a rural environment may also be permitted, subject
to conditions which protect the residential character of this district.
C. HDR High-Density Residential District. This district is intended
to provide concentrated suburban housing adjacent to educational,
cultural, recreational, retail business, employment, public transportation
and/or other supportive uses along state roads. Permitted densities
may reflect the degree of public benefits such as affordable housing,
senior residences, community water and sewer, publicly accessible
open space or similar amenities. Residences may consist of a variety
of housing types. This district can contain receiving areas for the
transfer of development rights if permitted.
D. RH Residential Hamlet District. This district is intended to reflect
the Town's historically self-contained hamlets in which interdependent
mixed uses coexist in harmony providing high-density housing, local
employment, limited small-scale retail goods and services, education
and other public and private facilities which are compatible with
the residential character of the district.
E. GB General Business District. This district is intended to include
retail, service, shopping centers, office complex, commercial office
and high-density housing normally within 200 feet of highways with
adequate traffic capacity. Under specific design criteria, deeper
districts may be delineated to provide alternatives to strip development,
provided they are separated by significant residential or other noncommercial
well-landscaped uses. Access management may be required to join adjacent
uses without depending solely on the adjacent state road. Such connections
shall attractively and efficiently join such uses for pedestrian,
bicycle, low-speed automobile and truck access.
F. HB Highway Business District. This district is intended to permit,
in addition to the uses permitted in general business districts, businesses
dependent on state highway access for large volumes of traffic and
requiring extensive parking. Such uses, which may include automotive,
dining, entertainment, shopping centers and similar uses, shall be
buffered from adjacent noncommercial uses by a depth, density and
height of landscaping and/or architectural design adequate to provide
compatibility with such adjacent uses.
G. I Industrial District. The purpose of this district is to accommodate
certain heavy industrial and other nonresidential uses not permitted
in other districts. It shall include specific parcels that are adjacent
to a state or county highway and/or an active railway with a siding
for off loading, and it shall include buffering and other requirements
to mitigate potential adverse impacts on nearby, noncommercial uses.
H. SA Sensitive Area Overlay District. This is an overlay district which
is to protect specific natural, scenic or historic features unique
to the Town or the district. These may include agricultural soils,
steep slopes, major rock formations, waterfalls, streams, wetlands,
Village Reservoir watershed, hydric soils, floodplains, rare or endangered
plant, insect or animal habitats, farmlands and/or historic sites.
I. AP Aquifer Protection Overlay District. This is an overlay district,
the purpose of which is to establish regulations for activities over
identified aquifers to protect groundwater resources from degradation.
J. OLI Office/Light Industrial District. The purpose of this district
is to provide sites for industrial and office development which are
subject to standards that limit the nature and intensity of permitted
uses and resulting impacts from on-site activities. Consideration
shall be made to the protection of important groundwater resources
that underlie much of this district as specific development proposals
are reviewed.
K. RB Recreation Business District. This district is intended to provide
for the development of outdoor-recreation-oriented commercial businesses.
Such businesses shall be subject to site plan review in order to ensure
that their operating characteristics do not cause adverse impacts
to nearby property owners, Town infrastructure and natural resources.
L. GD Gateway Overlay District. The purpose of this district is to enhance
the attractiveness of gateway areas in Saugerties for visitors and
residents. To further this purpose, these regulations establish a
design context to be followed by applicants in the design of projects
and to be followed by the Planning Board as part of the special use
permit and site plan approval processes.
M. WD Waterfront Overlay District. The purpose of this district is to
protect the water quality, floodways, shorelines, embankments and
slopes of the Hudson River, Esopus Creek, and Plattekill Creek within
the Town of Saugerties against erosion, filling, diversion or other
land activities and development which will degrade property or public
enjoyment of these unique resources.
The location and boundaries of the zoning districts established in §
245-6 are shown on the map entitled "Town of Saugerties Zoning Map" (Map 1 of 2 and Map 2 of 2). Said map, together with everything shown thereon and amendments thereto, is hereby adopted by reference and accompanies and is declared to be an appurtenant part of this chapter. Said map indicating the latest amendments shall be kept up-to-date in the office of the Town Clerk for the use and benefit of the general public.
Where uncertainty exists with respect to the boundaries of any
of the aforesaid districts as shown on the Zoning Map, the following
rules shall apply:
A. Along center lines and right-of-way lines. Where district boundaries
are indicated as approximately following the center lines or right-of-way
lines of streets, highways, or public utility easements, said boundaries
shall be construed to be coincident with such lines. Said boundaries
shall be deemed to automatically be moved if a center line or right-of-way
line of such street, highway, or public utility easement is moved
a maximum of 20 feet.
B. Along lot or boundary lines. Where district boundaries are indicated
as approximately following the Town boundary line, property lines,
lot lines, or projections thereof, said boundaries shall be construed
to be coincident with such lines or projections thereof.
C. Parallel to lot or boundary lines. Where district boundaries are
so indicated that they are approximately parallel to the Town boundary
line, street lines, property lines, lot lines, or center lines of
public utility easements, lands or structures, or projections thereof,
said boundaries shall be construed as being parallel thereto and at
such distances therefrom as are indicated on the Zoning Map or as
shall be determined by the use of the scale shown on the Zoning Map.
D. Watercourses. Where district boundaries are indicated as following
a river or stream, said boundaries shall be construed to be coincident
with the center line of such river or stream, and said boundaries
shall be deemed to be automatically moved if the main channels of
such streams or rivers are moved by natural or artificial means up
to a maximum of 50 feet.
E. Existing physical markers. Where a street, highway, railroad or public
utility easement center line or right-of-way line is coincident with
a zoning boundary line and varies from the actual on-the-ground physical
monument or mark, then such on-the-ground physical monument or mark
shall determine said zoning boundary.
F. Lots divided by zoning district lines. Where a lot is divided by
a district boundary line, the regulations for each respective district
shall apply, except that, where a district boundary line is located
not farther than 50 feet away from a lot line of record, the regulations
applicable to the greater part of the lot shall be deemed to apply
to the entire lot.
Following the effective date of this chapter:
A. No building shall be erected, moved, altered, rebuilt or enlarged
nor shall any land or building be used, designed or arranged to be
used for any purpose or in any manner except in conformity with all
regulations, requirements and/or restrictions specified in this chapter
for the district in which such building or land is located.
B. No yard or open space required in connection with any building or
use shall be considered as providing a required open space for any
other building on the same or any other lot.
C. No lot shall be formed from part of a lot already occupied by a building
unless such building, all yards and open spaces connected therewith,
and the remaining lot comply with all requirements prescribed by this
chapter for the district in which said lot is located. No permit shall
be issued for the erection of a building on any new lot thus created
unless such building and lot comply with all the provisions of this
chapter.
D. The minimum lot dimension or lot area regulations, or both, shall
not apply to any lot with an area, width and/or depth of less than
those described herein, provided that:
(1) Such lot was under different ownership from that of any adjoining
land on the effective date of this chapter, as amended; and
(2) Such lot shall comply with all other applicable regulations prescribed
by this chapter.
E. Nothing contained in this chapter shall require any change in the
plans, construction, or designated use of a building complying with
the Town's prior zoning law, a permit for which shall have been duly
issued and the construction of which shall have been started before
the effective date of this chapter, and which entire building shall
have been completed in accordance with such plans as have been filed
within one year from the effective date of this chapter.
F. Any uses not specifically permitted shall be deemed to be prohibited.
Any list of prohibited uses contained in any section of this chapter
shall not be deemed to be an exhaustive list, but to have been included
for the purposes of clarity and emphasis and to illustrate by example
some of the uses frequently proposed that are deemed undesirable and
incompatible in the particular district.