Chatham City Zoning Code

Residential. The Residential District contains most of the existing residential areas in the village. The existing density is moderately high, and this area is serviced by both public sewer and water.

Suburban Residential. The Suburban Residential District is recommended for much of the underdeveloped portions of the village, to be less dense than the R District. Portions of this area are presently serviced by public sewer and water. In order to prevent undue strain on the existing facilities because of some topographical restraints, the minimum lot size is larger than in the Residential District.

Residence Senior Citizen. The Residence Senior Citizen District will permit the establishment of a senior citizen housing project as authorized under Article 5 of the Private Housing Finance Law of the State of New York.

Residential Commercial. This district is a transitional zone, which presently contains a mixture of residences, commercial enterprises and professional offices. It is intended to permit gradual expansion of nonresidential uses that are compatible with residential uses.

Commercial 1. This district contains the primary shopping areas of Chatham's village center. Although there are some apartments above the businesses, commercial enterprises predominate. This downtown area has been expanding into the currently underutilized property between the railroad depot and the Middle School. Such expansion should maintain the district's pedestrian-friendly character and continue the construction of mixed-use small-scale buildings similar to those currently on Main Street and Park Row, retaining residential uses throughout the district. Wherever this district abuts residential uses lying outside the district, screening and buffering should be provided to protect residences.

Commercial 2. This district allows some additional commercial uses that are more oriented toward automobiles. It is intended to remain subordinate to the C-1 district as a business center.

Commercial 3. This district permits the establishment of commercial and light industrial businesses, conditioned upon the issuance of a special use permit.

Industrial. This district is intended to provide a location for larger-scale industrial uses and similar uses that provide important employment opportunities and enhance the tax base but which are not compatible with a residential neighborhood or mixed use shopping district.

Historic Overzone. The Historic Overzone is intended to protect the historic development pattern and architectural character of the downtown business district and to assure that this pattern and character are extended into adjoining vacant land areas. Existing development within the overzone contains structures of historical and cultural importance. In this overlay district, all regulations which apply to the underlying district shall continue to apply, subject to the additional regulations of the Historic Overzone.

The boundaries of each of the districts listed in this section are hereby established as shown upon the duly adopted Zoning Map, certified by the Village Clerk, which accompanies this chapter and which, with all notations, references and other matters shown thereon, is hereby declared a part of this chapter. An unofficial photo-reduction of this map is appended to this chapter for reference purposes only.[1]

Zoning Map updates. The official Zoning Map shall be kept in the office of the Village Clerk. If changes are made in district boundaries or other matter portrayed on the Zoning Map, such changes shall be noted by the Village Clerk on the official Zoning Map promptly after the amendment has been approved by the Village Board.

The district boundary lines, unless shown otherwise, are intended generally to follow and/or parallel street center lines, property lines, watercourses and municipal boundary lines, all as shown on the Zoning Map.

Where the street layout actually on the ground varies from the street layout as shown on the Zoning Map, the designation shown on the mapped streets shall be applied in such a way as to carry out the Building Inspector's judgment as to the purpose and intent of this chapter for the particular area in question.

When the location of a district boundary line cannot be otherwise determined, the determination thereof shall be made by the Building Inspector by scaling the distance on the Zoning Map from a line of known location to such district boundary line.

In the case of uncertainty as to the true location of a district boundary line in a particular instance, an appeal may be taken to the Board of Appeals.

Where a district boundary line divides a lot in existence at the time such district boundary line is adopted, the regulations of the less restrictive district shall extend 30 feet into the more restricted portion of the lot. This provision shall not apply to the Historic Overzone district boundary. For purposes of this provision, the restrictiveness of districts, from most restrictive to least restrictive, shall be as follows: R, SR, RSC, RC, CI, C2, C3, I.