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ADU · Ulster County

Can you build an ADU in Gardiner, NY?

Town of Gardiner has 8 districts. 5 districts allow ADUs, 3 require a special-use permit. Check your address to confirm the district that applies to your parcel:

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What the Gardiner 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
RA Rural Agricultural 5 ac 30 / 30 / 50 ft 35 ft As of right
HM Hamlet Mixed-Use 1.8365 ac 10 / 10 / 15 ft 45 ft As of right
HR Hamlet Residential 1.8365 ac 10 / 15 / 15 ft 40 ft As of right
CLI Commercial/Light Industrial 2 ac 40 / 20 / 50 ft 35 ft As of right
HC Highway Commercial 2 ac 30 / 20 / 50 ft 35 ft Special permit
SP-1 Shawangunk Ridge Protection 5 ac 75 / 50 / 100 ft 35 ft As of right
SP-2 Shawangunk Ridge Protection (Middle Slope) 10 ac 75 / 50 / 100 ft 25 ft Special permit
SP-3 Shawangunk Ridge Protection (Upper Slope) 20 ac 75 / 50 / 100 ft 25 ft Special permit

RA Rural Agricultural — The recorded width is the minimum ROAD FRONTAGE for a conventional subdivision on a TOWN road; the table publishes no lot width at all. Minimum road frontage on a county or state road is 300 ft. The setbacks shown are for CONVENTIONAL development (§ 220-74); in an open space development they are set by § 220-20E and the minimum lot size by § 220-11D. Maximum base density in an open space development is 2 acres per dwelling unit before bonuses. Maximum footprint for a nonresidential structure 6,000 sq ft. The coverage figure is MAXIMUM IMPERVIOUS SURFACE, not building coverage (§ 220-74). It applies to each lot and to a whole subdivision including new roads, does not apply to agricultural uses or pre-existing nonconforming lots, and the Planning Board may waive it for HM lots. An applicant may exceed it using partially permeable materials under § 220-11C.

HM Hamlet Mixed-Use — THE BASE ROW IS THE UNSERVICED CASE, AND IT IS 80,000 SQ FT. The Dimensional Table prints no acreage for HM — the cell carries footnote 4, which sends the reader to § 220-11D, where the minimum runs 80,000 sq ft with neither utility, 40,000 with water only, 20,000 with sewage only and 10,000 with both. § 220-11E caps the result at 8 dwelling units per acre of buildable land however the lot-size and density provisions combine, counting a studio as 0.5 of a unit, a one-bedroom as 0.67 and a two-bedroom as 0.75. Front yard is a MINIMUM/MAXIMUM range: 10 ft to 25 ft on a town or private road and 15 ft to 35 ft on a county or state road, and a build-to line may be set to hold the street wall. The side yard may be 0 for a party-wall or zero-lot-line building and may be reduced by the Planning Board to suit hamlet context (table note 11). Minimum road frontage 40 ft on a town road and 50 ft on a county or state road. Maximum footprint for a nonresidential structure 10,000 sq ft, which may rise to 60,000 for a supermarket, cinema or similar destination use meeting the special permit impact criteria (table note 12). The coverage figure is MAXIMUM IMPERVIOUS SURFACE, not building coverage (§ 220-74). It applies to each lot and to a whole subdivision including new roads, does not apply to agricultural uses or pre-existing nonconforming lots, and the Planning Board may waive it for HM lots. An applicant may exceed it using partially permeable materials under § 220-11C.

HR Hamlet Residential — THE BASE ROW IS THE UNSERVICED CASE, AND IT IS 80,000 SQ FT. The Dimensional Table prints no acreage for HR — the cell carries footnote 4, which sends the reader to § 220-11D, where the minimum runs 80,000 sq ft with neither utility, 40,000 with water only, 20,000 with sewage only and 10,000 with both. § 220-11E caps the result at 8 dwelling units per acre of buildable land however the lot-size and density provisions combine, counting a studio as 0.5 of a unit, a one-bedroom as 0.67 and a two-bedroom as 0.75. Front yard is a MINIMUM/MAXIMUM range: 10 ft to 25 ft on a town or private road and 15 ft to 40 ft on a county or state road, and a build-to line may be set to hold the street wall. The side yard may be 0 for a party-wall or zero-lot-line building and may be reduced by the Planning Board to suit hamlet context (table note 11). Minimum road frontage 40 ft on a town road and 50 ft on a county or state road. Maximum footprint for a nonresidential structure 1,000 sq ft. The coverage figure is MAXIMUM IMPERVIOUS SURFACE, not building coverage (§ 220-74). It applies to each lot and to a whole subdivision including new roads, does not apply to agricultural uses or pre-existing nonconforming lots, and the Planning Board may waive it for HM lots. An applicant may exceed it using partially permeable materials under § 220-11C.

CLI Commercial/Light Industrial — The recorded width is the minimum ROAD FRONTAGE for a conventional subdivision on a TOWN road; the table publishes no lot width at all. Minimum road frontage on a county or state road is 200 ft, and the front yard there is 125 ft against 40 ft on a town road. WHERE THE LOT ABUTS A RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT the side and rear setbacks become 100 ft with a wooded buffer, for structures, driveways, parking and any paved area (table note 7). Maximum footprint for a nonresidential structure 200,000 sq ft. The coverage figure is MAXIMUM IMPERVIOUS SURFACE, not building coverage (§ 220-74). It applies to each lot and to a whole subdivision including new roads, does not apply to agricultural uses or pre-existing nonconforming lots, and the Planning Board may waive it for HM lots. An applicant may exceed it using partially permeable materials under § 220-11C.

HC Highway Commercial — The recorded width is the minimum ROAD FRONTAGE for a conventional subdivision on a TOWN road; the table publishes no lot width at all. Minimum road frontage on a county or state road is 300 ft, and the front yard there is 40 ft against 30 ft on a town road. WHERE THE LOT ABUTS A RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT the side and rear setbacks become 100 ft with a wooded buffer, for structures, driveways, parking and any paved area (table note 7). Maximum footprint for a nonresidential structure 60,000 sq ft. The coverage figure is MAXIMUM IMPERVIOUS SURFACE, not building coverage (§ 220-74). It applies to each lot and to a whole subdivision including new roads, does not apply to agricultural uses or pre-existing nonconforming lots, and the Planning Board may waive it for HM lots. An applicant may exceed it using partially permeable materials under § 220-11C.

SP-1 Shawangunk Ridge Protection — The recorded width is the minimum ROAD FRONTAGE for a conventional subdivision on a TOWN road; the table publishes no lot width at all. Minimum road frontage on a county or state road is 300 ft. Maximum base density in an open space development is 5 acres per dwelling unit before bonuses; open space lot sizes and setbacks are set by §§ 220-11D and 220-20E. Maximum footprint for a nonresidential structure 6,000 sq ft. The coverage figure is MAXIMUM IMPERVIOUS SURFACE, not building coverage (§ 220-74). It applies to each lot and to a whole subdivision including new roads, does not apply to agricultural uses or pre-existing nonconforming lots, and the Planning Board may waive it for HM lots. An applicant may exceed it using partially permeable materials under § 220-11C.

SP-2 Shawangunk Ridge Protection (Middle Slope), SP-3 Shawangunk Ridge Protection (Upper Slope) — SP-2 and SP-3 are NOT in the § 220-11 Dimensional Table — their dimensional regulations are in § 220-16, which this pass did not read. The figures here are unchanged and are not sourced from the Dimensional Table.

ADUs vs. short-term rentals in Gardiner

Short-term-rental status not confirmed for Town of Gardiner. The Town of Gardiner was actively drafting STR regulations as of 2024 — status may have changed. Contact Town of Gardiner at (845) 255-9675 to confirm current requirements before purchasing with STR income as a financial assumption. 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. Municipal source

Good to know

ADU FAQ — Gardiner, NY

Are ADUs allowed in Gardiner, NY?

Town of Gardiner has 8 districts. 5 districts allow ADUs, 3 require a special-use permit. Check your address with the free ADU checker, or confirm with the building department at (845) 255-9675.

Do I need a special permit for an ADU in Gardiner?

It depends on the district: 3 of 8 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 Gardiner?

Short-term-rental status not confirmed for Town of Gardiner. 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 Gardiner

Permission is one question and budget is another. An 800 sq ft accessory unit here runs roughly $200k–265k 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 Gardiner, priced by size.

ADU information for Town of Gardiner is compiled from the municipal code (last reviewed Apr 2026) 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) 255-9675 before relying on any answer. Source: Offsite / Aldo zoning dataset, municipalData.js.

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