Ulster County
Town of Shandaken, NY: zoning for new construction
Residential lots in the Town of Shandaken run from a 1-acre minimum in Hamlet Residential (HR) up to 5 acres in Residential (R5), across 8 zoning districts in all. Short-term rentals allowed with registration. 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) 688-5021 before you rely on a figure.
Looking specifically at an accessory dwelling unit? See ADU rules for Shandaken →
Zoning districts
| District | Min lot | Setbacks F / S / R | Max height | ADU |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residential (R5) | 5 ac | 75 / 75 / 75 ft | 35 ft | Special permit |
| Residential (R3) | 3 ac | 60 / 50 / 60 ft | 35 ft | Special permit |
| Residential (R1.5) | 1.5 ac | 50 / 25 / 50 ft | 35 ft | Special permit |
| Hamlet Residential (HR) | 1 ac | 40 / 25 / 40 ft | 35 ft | Special permit |
| Hamlet Commercial (HC) | 0.34 ac | 25 / 10 / 25 ft | 35 ft | Special permit |
| Highway Business (HB) | 1.5 ac | 60 / 40 / 60 ft | 35 ft | Special permit |
| Commercial/Light Industrial (CLI) | 2 ac | 75 / 50 / 75 ft | 35 ft | No |
| Floodway (FW) | — | — | — | No |
Residential (R5) — Min open space 80%. Minimum front yard is 100 ft in EVERY district where the premises front on NYS Route 28, though the Planning Board may allow the district figure where the development lies within 200 ft of existing structures set back less than 100 ft (schedule note b). No more than 25% of the required minimum lot area may be NYSDEC wetland or FEMA 100-year floodplain (§ 116-21, schedule note a). The minimum lot area per single-family dwelling unit also governs authorised commercial premises, except where § 116-40 states a greater acreage for a special permit use (schedule note 2).
Residential (R3) — Min open space 70%. Minimum front yard is 100 ft in EVERY district where the premises front on NYS Route 28, though the Planning Board may allow the district figure where the development lies within 200 ft of existing structures set back less than 100 ft (schedule note b). No more than 25% of the required minimum lot area may be NYSDEC wetland or FEMA 100-year floodplain (§ 116-21, schedule note a). The minimum lot area per single-family dwelling unit also governs authorised commercial premises, except where § 116-40 states a greater acreage for a special permit use (schedule note 2).
Residential (R1.5) — Min open space 60%. Minimum front yard is 100 ft in EVERY district where the premises front on NYS Route 28, though the Planning Board may allow the district figure where the development lies within 200 ft of existing structures set back less than 100 ft (schedule note b). No more than 25% of the required minimum lot area may be NYSDEC wetland or FEMA 100-year floodplain (§ 116-21, schedule note a). The minimum lot area per single-family dwelling unit also governs authorised commercial premises, except where § 116-40 states a greater acreage for a special permit use (schedule note 2).
Hamlet Residential (HR) — Min open space 60%, 40% with central water and municipal sewer. Schedule note 3 requires NO increase in minimum lot area for a two-family dwelling in HR. Minimum front yard is 100 ft in EVERY district where the premises front on NYS Route 28, though the Planning Board may allow the district figure where the development lies within 200 ft of existing structures set back less than 100 ft (schedule note b). No more than 25% of the required minimum lot area may be NYSDEC wetland or FEMA 100-year floodplain (§ 116-21, schedule note a). The minimum lot area per single-family dwelling unit also governs authorised commercial premises, except where § 116-40 states a greater acreage for a special permit use (schedule note 2).
Hamlet Commercial (HC) — THE BASE ROW IS THE MOST PERMISSIVE CASE. HC is the one district whose schedule entry starts with utilities: 15,000 sq ft applies only WITH municipal water AND municipal sewer. With only one of the two the schedule requires 25,000 sq ft, 120 ft of lot width, and yards of 30 ft front, 20 ft side and 35 ft rear, at 20% coverage and 35% open space. That row is a disjunction — exactly one utility — which the conjunctive condition vocabulary cannot state without contradicting this base, so it is recorded here rather than as a variant. The schedule publishes NO standard for an HC lot with neither utility. Min open space 30%. Minimum front yard is 100 ft in EVERY district where the premises front on NYS Route 28, though the Planning Board may allow the district figure where the development lies within 200 ft of existing structures set back less than 100 ft (schedule note b). No more than 25% of the required minimum lot area may be NYSDEC wetland or FEMA 100-year floodplain (§ 116-21, schedule note a). The minimum lot area per single-family dwelling unit also governs authorised commercial premises, except where § 116-40 states a greater acreage for a special permit use (schedule note 2).
Highway Business (HB) — Min open space 40%. Minimum front yard is 100 ft in EVERY district where the premises front on NYS Route 28, though the Planning Board may allow the district figure where the development lies within 200 ft of existing structures set back less than 100 ft (schedule note b). No more than 25% of the required minimum lot area may be NYSDEC wetland or FEMA 100-year floodplain (§ 116-21, schedule note a). The minimum lot area per single-family dwelling unit also governs authorised commercial premises, except where § 116-40 states a greater acreage for a special permit use (schedule note 2).
Commercial/Light Industrial (CLI) — Min open space 40%. Minimum front yard is 100 ft in EVERY district where the premises front on NYS Route 28, though the Planning Board may allow the district figure where the development lies within 200 ft of existing structures set back less than 100 ft (schedule note b). No more than 25% of the required minimum lot area may be NYSDEC wetland or FEMA 100-year floodplain (§ 116-21, schedule note a). The minimum lot area per single-family dwelling unit also governs authorised commercial premises, except where § 116-40 states a greater acreage for a special permit use (schedule note 2). Light industrial permitted by special permit.
Floodway (FW) — No development permitted in the Floodway District (116 Attachment 1).
Short-term rentals
Short-term rentals allowed with registration. STR permit required (2022). Non-resident (non-owner-occupied) permits are capped at 150 total — new investors may face a waitlist. No cap on owner-occupied permits. Contact Town of Shandaken at (845) 688-5021 to confirm permit availability. Municipal source
Good to know
- UtilityCentral Hudson territory.
- Zoning codeecode360.com/SH1022
- Building dept(845) 688-5021
- Last reviewed2026-08-16
Working out a budget? A standard-finish build here runs $206–$270/sq ft , and a conforming lot adds about $22,636 on top - see the full cost to build a house in Shandaken, or what an ADU costs here.
Sizing up a specific parcel in Shandaken?
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 · Olive · Plattekill · Rochester · Rosendale · Saugerties · Shawangunk · Ulster · Wawarsing · Woodstock
Zoning figures for Town of Shandaken 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) 688-5021 before relying on any number. Source: Offsite / Aldo zoning dataset, municipalData.js.