Can you build an ADU in Tivoli, NY?

Residential 15,000 Square Feet — The front yard is a RANGE, 20 ft minimum and 50 ft MAXIMUM — a build-to line, so a building may not be set further back. Lot width is controlled twice over, at the street and at the front building line, and BOTH have a MAXIMUM as well as a minimum: no more than 80 ft. A lot can be too wide here, not just too narrow. The side yard is published as a total: two side yards adding to at least 30 ft, with the narrower no less than 1/3 of that total, which is where the single-side figure comes from. The schedule's area column is headed "Minimum Land Area Per Dwelling (density)", so it is the land each dwelling consumes: a second dwelling on the lot needs the figure again. See the definition of "area, land" at § 231-4. The principal building may reach 35 ft and an accessory building 25 ft. A building may not exceed 48 ft in WIDTH, which is a separate limit from coverage and lot width. Accessory buildings have their own setbacks: they must sit at least 20 ft back from the front building line of the principal building, 10 ft side, 10 ft rear. A front open porch is excluded from the front setback and may encroach up to 10 ft into it. A minimum area per dwelling also applies under § 231-28. Lots fronting Spring Street take an 18 ft minimum front yard instead of 20. Lots fronting Washburn Street, Feroe Street and Broadway west of the White Clay Kill take a 30 ft MAXIMUM front yard instead of 50. Maximum building coverage is the same as the Historic Overlay District (§ 231-22.2D).

Residential 1-Acre — The front yard is a RANGE, 40 ft minimum and 70 ft MAXIMUM — a build-to line, so a building may not be set further back. Lot width is controlled twice over, at the street and at the front building line, and BOTH have a MAXIMUM as well as a minimum: no more than 125 ft. A lot can be too wide here, not just too narrow. The side yard is published as a total: two side yards adding to at least 30 ft, with the narrower no less than 1/3 of that total, which is where the single-side figure comes from. The schedule's area column is headed "Minimum Land Area Per Dwelling (density)", so it is the land each dwelling consumes: a second dwelling on the lot needs the figure again. See the definition of "area, land" at § 231-4. The principal building may reach 35 ft and an accessory building 25 ft. A building may not exceed 48 ft in WIDTH, which is a separate limit from coverage and lot width. Accessory buildings have their own setbacks: they must sit at least 20 ft back from the front building line of the principal building, 10 ft side, 10 ft rear. A front open porch is excluded from the front setback and may encroach up to 10 ft into it. A minimum area per dwelling also applies under § 231-28. Lots fronting Pine Street take a 20 ft minimum and 30 ft maximum front yard instead of 40 and 70, and are allowed 35% lot coverage instead of 30%. Maximum building coverage is the same as the Historic Overlay District (§ 231-22.2D).

Residential 2-Acre — Lot width is controlled twice over, at the street and at the front building line. The schedule's area column is headed "Minimum Land Area Per Dwelling (density)", so it is the land each dwelling consumes: a second dwelling on the lot needs the figure again. See the definition of "area, land" at § 231-4. The principal building may reach 35 ft and an accessory building 30 ft. A building may not exceed 58 ft in WIDTH, which is a separate limit from coverage and lot width. Accessory buildings have their own setbacks: they must sit at least 20 ft back from the front building line of the principal building, 10 ft side, 10 ft rear. A front open porch is excluded from the front setback and may encroach up to 10 ft into it. A minimum area per dwelling also applies under § 231-28. Lots fronting Broadway east of the White Clay Kill differ throughout: a 100 ft MAXIMUM front yard, the R-1A side yard rule in place of 35 ft, a 25 ft rear yard instead of 35, and a 48 ft maximum building width instead of 58.

Residential 3-Acre — Lot width is controlled twice over, at the street and at the front building line — 100 ft at the street and 250 ft at the building line. The schedule's area column is headed "Minimum Land Area Per Dwelling (density)", so it is the land each dwelling consumes: a second dwelling on the lot needs the figure again. See the definition of "area, land" at § 231-4. The principal building may reach 35 ft and an accessory building 35 ft. Accessory buildings have their own setbacks: 50 ft front, 50 ft side, 50 ft rear. A front open porch is excluded from the front setback and may encroach up to 10 ft into it. A minimum area per dwelling also applies under § 231-28.

General Business — Lot width is controlled twice over, at the street and at the front building line. Maximum LOT coverage is 90% and maximum BUILDING coverage 60%; the figure recorded is the lot one. The principal building may reach 35 ft and an accessory building 35 ft. Accessory buildings have their own setbacks: they must sit at least 20 ft back from the front building line of the principal building, as close to the line as the State Uniform Fire Prevention and Building Code allows, the same at the rear. A front open porch is excluded from the front setback and may encroach up to 10 ft into it. A minimum area per dwelling also applies under § 231-28. GB publishes no numeric yards at all, and that is deliberate rather than missing. The front of new construction or a renovation may come as close to the edge of the road pavement as either adjacent building, but no closer — the neighbours set the line. Buildings may sit as close to the side and rear property lines as the New York State Uniform Fire Prevention and Building Code permits.

Residential/Business — Lot width is controlled twice over, at the street and at the front building line. The schedule's area column is headed "Minimum Land Area Per Dwelling (density)", so it is the land each dwelling consumes: a second dwelling on the lot needs the figure again. See the definition of "area, land" at § 231-4. The principal building may reach 35 ft and an accessory building 30 ft. A building may not exceed 48 ft in WIDTH, which is a separate limit from coverage and lot width. Accessory buildings have their own setbacks: 60 ft front, 30 ft side, 35 ft rear. A front open porch is excluded from the front setback and may encroach up to 10 ft into it. A minimum area per dwelling also applies under § 231-28. A NONRESIDENTIAL use in RB is allowed 40% lot coverage rather than 30%, may build accessory structures to 35 ft rather than 30, and has no maximum building width; the coverage difference is recorded as a condition. For multifamily and nonresidential uses the size limits are absolute rather than proportional: a principal building may not exceed 7,500 sq ft of floor area or 5,000 sq ft of footprint, an accessory building 5,000 sq ft and 2,600 sq ft, and all accessory buildings together 5,000 sq ft. Where residential and nonresidential uses share a parcel, the one- and two-family bulk follows the Historic Overlay District (§ 231-22.2D) and those aggregate size limits still bind the whole parcel.

Land Conservation — Lot width is controlled twice over, at the street and at the front building line. The principal building may reach 35 ft and an accessory building 35 ft. Accessory buildings have their own setbacks: 50 ft front, 50 ft side, 50 ft rear. A front open porch is excluded from the front setback and may encroach up to 10 ft into it. A minimum area per dwelling also applies under § 231-28. LC publishes no width at the street, only the 300 ft width at the front building line, and no minimum land area per dwelling.