Ulster County
Town of Olive, NY: zoning for new construction
Residential lots in the Town of Olive run from a 1-acre minimum in ER ExUrban Residential (R/E-1A) up to 10 acres in CR Conservation Residential (R/C-10A), across 5 zoning districts in all. Short-term rentals restricted. Power here is Central Hudson territory. The district table below has the setbacks, height limits and coverage - confirm the specifics with the building department at (845) 657-8282 before you rely on a figure.
Looking specifically at an accessory dwelling unit? See ADU rules for Olive →
Zoning districts
| District | Min lot | Setbacks F / S / R | Max height | ADU |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CR Conservation Residential (R/C-10A) | 10 ac | 50 / 100 / 100 ft | 35 ft | Occupancy restricted |
| RR Rural Residential (R/R-3A) | 3 ac | 50 / 50 / 75 ft | 35 ft | Occupancy restricted |
| ER ExUrban Residential (R/E-1A) | 1 ac | 50 / 25 / 50 ft | 35 ft | Occupancy restricted |
| B/V-1/2 Business/Village | 0.5 ac | 50 / 20 / 50 ft | 35 ft | Occupancy restricted |
| B/H-1/2 Business/Highway | 0.5 ac | 50 / 20 / 50 ft | 35 ft | Occupancy restricted |
CR Conservation Residential (R/C-10A) — The schedule's first row is "Lot area per dwelling unit", so the district minimum is the land required by EACH unit, not by the lot. Min lot depth 800 ft. On a street with a right-of-way under 50 ft the front yard is measured from the centre line of the right-of-way with 25 ft added; where the right-of-way is unknown, from the centre line of the existing roadway (schedule note 1). In special permit and site plan review the Planning Board may modify any of these standards by up to 10% in the interest of the public welfare (schedule note 2). That is a discretionary range rather than a published figure, so no per-condition standard is recorded for it. Under § 155-8 the Planning Board may approve an average density subdivision or a conservation subdivision and modify lot area and dimensions on the plat, provided the AVERAGE lot equals or exceeds the district minimum. It sets no floor of its own, so there is no figure to record; it is a Planning Board approval, never available by right (schedule note 3). Every use except a single-family and a two-family home requires Planning Board site plan approval before a zoning permit issues (§ 155-17). Most environmentally sensitive district — includes the Ashokan Reservoir surroundings.
RR Rural Residential (R/R-3A) — The schedule's first row is "Lot area per dwelling unit", so the district minimum is the land required by EACH unit, not by the lot. Min lot depth 400 ft. On a street with a right-of-way under 50 ft the front yard is measured from the centre line of the right-of-way with 25 ft added; where the right-of-way is unknown, from the centre line of the existing roadway (schedule note 1). In special permit and site plan review the Planning Board may modify any of these standards by up to 10% in the interest of the public welfare (schedule note 2). That is a discretionary range rather than a published figure, so no per-condition standard is recorded for it. Under § 155-8 the Planning Board may approve an average density subdivision or a conservation subdivision and modify lot area and dimensions on the plat, provided the AVERAGE lot equals or exceeds the district minimum. It sets no floor of its own, so there is no figure to record; it is a Planning Board approval, never available by right (schedule note 3). Every use except a single-family and a two-family home requires Planning Board site plan approval before a zoning permit issues (§ 155-17).
ER ExUrban Residential (R/E-1A) — The schedule's first row is "Lot area per dwelling unit", so the district minimum is the land required by EACH unit, not by the lot. Min lot depth 150 ft. On a street with a right-of-way under 50 ft the front yard is measured from the centre line of the right-of-way with 25 ft added; where the right-of-way is unknown, from the centre line of the existing roadway (schedule note 1). In special permit and site plan review the Planning Board may modify any of these standards by up to 10% in the interest of the public welfare (schedule note 2). That is a discretionary range rather than a published figure, so no per-condition standard is recorded for it. Under § 155-8 the Planning Board may approve an average density subdivision or a conservation subdivision and modify lot area and dimensions on the plat, provided the AVERAGE lot equals or exceeds the district minimum. It sets no floor of its own, so there is no figure to record; it is a Planning Board approval, never available by right (schedule note 3). Every use except a single-family and a two-family home requires Planning Board site plan approval before a zoning permit issues (§ 155-17). Most common residential district in the Olive hamlets.
B/V-1/2 Business/Village — THE HALF-ACRE IS THE COMMERCIAL FIGURE. Schedule note 4 states that residential and certain other uses in the B/V-1/2 and B/H-1/2 Districts "require larger lot sizes", and points at § 155-16, which adopts the schedules without naming one. The larger residential figure is therefore NOT published where the schedule says it is, and none is recorded here rather than guessed. The schedule's first row is "Lot area per dwelling unit", so the district minimum is the land required by EACH unit, not by the lot. Min lot depth 150 ft. On a street with a right-of-way under 50 ft the front yard is measured from the centre line of the right-of-way with 25 ft added; where the right-of-way is unknown, from the centre line of the existing roadway (schedule note 1). In special permit and site plan review the Planning Board may modify any of these standards by up to 10% in the interest of the public welfare (schedule note 2). That is a discretionary range rather than a published figure, so no per-condition standard is recorded for it. Every use except a single-family and a two-family home requires Planning Board site plan approval before a zoning permit issues (§ 155-17). Village hamlet commercial areas.
B/H-1/2 Business/Highway — THE HALF-ACRE IS THE COMMERCIAL FIGURE. Schedule note 4 states that residential and certain other uses in the B/V-1/2 and B/H-1/2 Districts "require larger lot sizes", and points at § 155-16, which adopts the schedules without naming one. The larger residential figure is therefore NOT published where the schedule says it is, and none is recorded here rather than guessed. The schedule's first row is "Lot area per dwelling unit", so the district minimum is the land required by EACH unit, not by the lot. Min lot depth 150 ft. On a street with a right-of-way under 50 ft the front yard is measured from the centre line of the right-of-way with 25 ft added; where the right-of-way is unknown, from the centre line of the existing roadway (schedule note 1). In special permit and site plan review the Planning Board may modify any of these standards by up to 10% in the interest of the public welfare (schedule note 2). That is a discretionary range rather than a published figure, so no per-condition standard is recorded for it. Every use except a single-family and a two-family home requires Planning Board site plan approval before a zoning permit issues (§ 155-17). Highway-oriented commercial; light industrial by special permit.
Short-term rentals
Short-term rentals restricted. STR permit required under Local Law No. 2 of 2022. Non-owner-occupied STRs are limited to 180 nights per calendar year. Permit caps have been in effect — new applications may not be accepted. Confirm current availability with Town of Olive at (845) 657-8282 before purchasing with STR income as a financial assumption. Municipal source
Good to know
- UtilityCentral Hudson territory.
- Zoning codeecode360.com/OL1834
- Building dept(845) 657-8282
- Last reviewed2026-08-16
Working out a budget? A standard-finish build here runs $206–$270/sq ft , and a conforming lot adds about $11,222 on top - see the full cost to build a house in Olive, or what an ADU costs here.
Sizing up a specific parcel in Olive?
Aldo pulls the exact zoning district, setbacks, and build feasibility for any parcel — before you buy. Enter your email to open Aldo and run your free report.
Other Ulster County towns
All Ulster County zoning: Kingston (City) · Denning · Esopus · Gardiner · Hardenburgh · Hurley · Lloyd · Marbletown · Marlborough · New Paltz · Plattekill · Rochester · Rosendale · Saugerties · Shandaken · Shawangunk · Ulster · Wawarsing · Woodstock
Zoning figures for Town of Olive are compiled from the municipal code (last reviewed 2026-08-16) and provided for decision-support only - not legal, engineering, or architectural advice. Setback and dimensional standards often carry conditions and exceptions; verify with the building department at (845) 657-8282 before relying on any number. Source: Offsite / Aldo zoning dataset, municipalData.js.