ADU · Putnam County
Can you build an ADU in Cold Spring, NY?
Village of Cold Spring has 12 districts. 8 districts prohibit ADUs, 4 require a special-use permit. Check your address to confirm the district that applies to your parcel:
What the Cold Spring code indicates by district
The table below shows how each district treats ADUs, alongside the lot and setback standards that govern a second unit. District boundaries and conditions vary, so treat this as a starting point and confirm the district that applies to your parcel.
| District | Min lot | Setbacks F / S / R | Max height | ADU |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Older Residential Neighborhoods (min lot 4,000 sf; 45 ft lot width; 80 ft lot depth; 5 ft front, 5 ft one side / 12.5 ft both sides combined, 20 ft rear; 2 1/2 stories / 35 ft; 30% building coverage. The village's tightest, most historic fabric — a 4,000 sf minimum with 5 ft front and side yards is a genuinely pre-automobile lot pattern. Accessory structures in R-O have their own standards: 5 ft one side / 15 ft both sides, 5 ft rear, 1 1/2 stories / 15 ft. Short-term rentals are a PERMITTED use here subject to Chapter 100) | 0.09 ac | 5 / 5 / 20 ft | 35 ft | Special permit |
| Newer Residential Neighborhoods (min lot 7,500 sf; 60 ft lot width; 80 ft lot depth; 25 ft front, 10 ft one side / 20 ft both sides combined, 20 ft rear; 2 1/2 stories / 35 ft; 30% building coverage. Each lot must also contain a 50 ft x 50 ft square within 50% of the lot — a shape test that a long narrow lot can fail even when it meets the area minimum. Accessory structures: 10 ft one side / 20 ft both sides, 10 ft rear, 1 1/2 stories / 15 ft. Short-term rentals are a PERMITTED use here subject to Chapter 100) | 0.17 ac | 25 / 10 / 20 ft | 35 ft | Special permit |
| Large Residential Lots (min lot 23,000 sf; 135 ft lot width; 150 ft lot depth; 25 ft front, 10 ft one side / 20 ft both sides combined, 20 ft rear; 3 stories / 35 ft; 20% building coverage. Each lot must also contain a 50 ft x 50 ft square within 50% of the lot. New multi-family buildings are PROHIBITED in R-L except as conversions from a one-family or two-family dwelling by special use permit. Accessory structures: 10 ft one side / 20 ft both sides, 10 ft rear, 1 1/2 stories / 15 ft. Short-term rentals are a PERMITTED use here subject to Chapter 100) | 0.53 ac | 25 / 10 / 20 ft | 35 ft | Special permit |
| Multi-Family Housing — shown as 'MF' in the use table and 'R-MF' in the dimensional table (min lot 27,000 sf; 100 ft lot width; 200 ft lot depth; 25 ft front, 12 ft one side / 30 ft both sides combined, 30 ft rear; 2 1/2 stories / 35 ft; 25% building coverage; maximum building length 180 ft. The only district where one-family, two-family and multi-family dwellings are all permitted as of right. Short-term rentals are PROHIBITED here) | 0.62 ac | 25 / 12 / 30 ft | 35 ft | No |
| Business 1 — the Main Street core (min lot 5,000 sf; 40 ft lot width; 100 ft lot depth; 0 ft front — buildings meet the sidewalk; 5 ft one side / 10 ft both sides combined, 10 ft rear; 1 1/2 stories / 35 ft; 35% building coverage, the highest in the village. Each lot must contain a 30 ft x 40 ft rectangle within 50% of the lot. Retail, restaurants, bars, offices, hotels and mixed use are the characteristic uses; residential uses require site plan approval. Short-term rentals are a SPECIAL USE here subject to Chapter 100) | 0.11 ac | 0 / 5 / 10 ft | 35 ft | No |
| Business 2 (min lot 12,000 sf; 100 ft lot width; 100 ft lot depth; 10 ft front, 10 ft one side / 20 ft both sides combined, 20 ft rear; 2 1/2 stories / 35 ft; 30% building coverage. A more auto-oriented commercial district — day care centers and filling stations appear here and nowhere else. Short-term rentals are PROHIBITED here) | 0.28 ac | 10 / 10 / 20 ft | 35 ft | No |
| Medical and Health Care Facility and Senior Citizen Housing (min lot 3 ACRES; 80 ft lot width; 100 ft lot depth; 25 ft front, 12 ft one side / 30 ft both sides combined, 30 ft rear; 2 1/2 stories / 35 ft; 25% building coverage; maximum building length 180 ft. Additional standards: minimum lot area per dwelling unit 2,300 sf, minimum livable floor area per dwelling unit 600 sf, and the distance between buildings must be twice the building height. Short-term rentals are PROHIBITED here) | 3 ac | 25 / 12 / 30 ft | 35 ft | No |
| Medical and Health Care Facility and Mixed Use (min lot 120,000 sf; 200 ft lot width; 200 ft lot depth; front setback is CONDITIONAL and therefore not recorded as a single figure — 75 ft for a use other than a single-family residence fronting on a Village street, 25 ft or less as permitted by the Planning Board for a single-family residence fronting a Village street or State Highway, and 15 ft or less as permitted by the Planning Board for other uses fronting a State Highway; 10 ft one side / 25 ft both sides combined, 10 ft rear; 2 1/2 stories / 35 ft; 25% building coverage. Retail at street level is capped at 13,000 sf district-wide and 7,000 sf per building; business and professional office space is capped at 17,500 sf per building. Short-term rentals are PROHIBITED here) | 2.75 ac | - / 10 / 10 ft | 35 ft | No |
| Parks and Recreation (no minimum lot area, width, depth or setbacks are set; maximum height 15 ft; 10% building coverage — the lowest in the village. Athletic fields, court games, parks, playgrounds, conservation areas and wildlife refuges are the permitted uses) | — | — | 15 ft | No |
| Civic Uses (no minimum lot area, width, depth or setbacks are set; maximum height 15 ft; 25% building coverage. Municipal uses and buildings, parks, schools, conservation areas, farmers markets and marinas by special use are the permitted uses) | — | — | 15 ft | No |
| Educational, Religious and Cultural (min lot 4,000 sf; 45 ft lot width; 80 ft lot depth; 5 ft front, 5 ft one side / 12.5 ft both sides combined, 20 ft rear; 2 1/2 stories / 35 ft; 30% building coverage — dimensionally identical to R-O. Schools, libraries, houses of worship, parks and municipal buildings are the permitted uses) | 0.09 ac | 5 / 5 / 20 ft | 35 ft | No |
| Planned Mixed Use — a single-site Planned Unit Development district covering the former Marathon Battery Factory site (Table 6B carries no figures and refers to § 134-12). The PUD standards are: overall density an average of 7 dwellings per NET acre, with net acreage calculated as gross minus non-buildable land; at least 20% of all dwelling units must be affordable; a minimum 30% of gross acreage assigned to civic uses; and for cottage-court lots a minimum lot width of 60 ft, minimum lot depth of 75 ft, minimum lot area of 7,500 sf, a maximum of 4 dwelling units, maximum gross dwelling unit size 1,200 sf, and 2 1/2 stories / 35 ft. NOTE the setbacks in § 134-12 are stated as MAXIMUMS, not minimums — a form-based build-to rule (maximum front setback 15 ft; side yard 10 ft one side, 15 ft) — so they are the opposite of the minimum-setback fields used elsewhere and are recorded null here rather than misfiled. The district lies wholly or partly within a State-designated Scenic Area of Statewide Significance and State-regulated freshwater wetlands. Short-term rentals are PROHIBITED here) | 0.17 ac | — | 35 ft | Special permit |
ADUs vs. short-term rentals in Cold Spring
Short-term rentals allowed with local rules for Village of Cold Spring. The Village of Cold Spring regulates short-term rentals under Chapter 100 of the Village Code, cross-referenced by footnote 5 to Table 6A of the Zoning Chapter. STRs are a PERMITTED use (P) in the three residential subdistricts — R-O, R-N and R-L — and a SPECIAL USE (SU) in B-1, in every case subject to Chapter 100's special regulations. They are PROHIBITED in every other district: R-MF, B-2, B-3, B-4, PMU, PR, C and ERC. Chapter 134 defines a Short-Term Rental as distinct from a boardinghouse, rooming home or hotel and requires that it be OWNER-OCCUPIED, with 'Owner-Occupied' defined as occupied as the primary residence for no fewer than a set number of days per year. Read Chapter 100 in full for permit, cap and inspection requirements before listing, and confirm with the Building Department at (845) 265-3611. Separately, since 2025 New York State requires every short-term-rental host to register the unit with the State through the county registry, regardless of what the municipality allows. These are separate questions from whether you can build an ADU — a unit you're allowed to add isn't automatically one you're allowed to rent nightly, so check both.
Good to know
- Residential lot minimum0.09–0.62 ac — an ADU still has to fit the district's lot and setback envelope.
- UtilityCentral Hudson territory.
- Building dept(845) 265-3611
- Last reviewed2026-07-27
ADU FAQ — Cold Spring, NY
Are ADUs allowed in Cold Spring, NY?
Village of Cold Spring has 12 districts. 8 districts prohibit ADUs, 4 require a special-use permit. Check your address with the free ADU checker, or confirm with the building department at (845) 265-3611.
Do I need a special permit for an ADU in Cold Spring?
It depends on the district: 4 of 12 require a special-use permit, the rest do not. Check the district that applies to your parcel before you design.
Can I use an ADU as a short-term rental in Cold Spring?
Short-term rentals allowed with local rules for Village of Cold Spring. ADU occupancy and short-term-rental rules are separate: an ADU you can build isn't automatically one you can rent nightly. Confirm both before you count on STR income.
What an ADU costs to build in Cold Spring
Permission is one question and budget is another. An 800 sq ft accessory unit here runs roughly $215k–285k at a standard finish, and the per-square-foot rate comes in above a full house because the kitchen, bath, panel and heating plant cost the same either way. See the full cost to build an ADU in Cold Spring, priced by size.
More on Cold Spring: Full zoning for new construction · ADU build cost · House build cost · All Putnam County towns
ADU information for Village of Cold Spring is compiled from the municipal code (last reviewed 2026-07-27) and provided for decision-support only — not legal or architectural advice. ADU eligibility, size, owner-occupancy and permit conditions vary by district and often carry exceptions; verify with the building department at (845) 265-3611 before relying on any answer. Source: Offsite / Aldo zoning dataset, municipalData.js.