Some tidbits from the zoning law enacted by the Danby town board in February 2022, with minimal input from the town residents. You can find the full zoning law here: https://danby.ny.gov/docs/ll1-2022-zoning/
The town has passed a law that has highly restricted how you may use the property you own.
You are in the Rural 1 zone. The town board intends to limit new development in this area.
The town board has allowed you to have the following rights with regards to the property you own:
- If you want to subdivide your land you can do it in 10 acre parcels and no less. The lots must be at least 800 feet deep. There are specifications on how big yards have to be.
- You get to have agricultural buildings as long as they don’t produce any offensive odor within 25 feet of your property line (Note that in the low density residential, more subdivision-like zone, the odor rule is absent).
- You can have a roadside stand as long as it’s not more than 400 square feet (other rural zones, but not this one, can have up to 1200). And you must only sell products you produce on your own land or produced on land within a 10 mile radius.
- You can have a home business in your existing building as long as there is no external evidence of such, except for a sign as long as it is not too big. Note that in the low density residential, more subdivision-like zone, the town allows home businesses where visible evidence does exist on the site.
- Any signs you display on your property must meet their requirements. You cannot display temporary signs for more than 30 days a year.
- You can have a garage, workshop, and storage shed as long as the combined area footage is less than 400 square feet.
- You can have farm buildings for agricultural use.
- You can have a building mounted or small scale solar energy system.
If you want to do other things on your own property you have to get the town’s approval, for example:
- Building a new house – but only a one dwelling unit. Your house can’t be more than 36 feet in height.
- Building a garage, workshop, or storage building, such that the total square footage is over 400 square feet. But you are limited to 1200 square feet.
- Building a new structure for a business
The town will allow you to have a large scale solar energy system on your property, by special permit only.
Danby Roots party: We want to do things for you, not to you.
- Kevin Feeney – for town supervisor
- Russel Nitchman – for town board
- Mauricio Medina – for town board
Vote this November.