No building shall be erected, moved, altered, rebuilt or enlarged, nor shall any land, water or building be used, designed or arranged to be used, for any purpose except in conformity with this chapter.

In interpreting and applying this chapter, the requirements contained herein are declared to be the minimum requirements for the protection and promotion of the public health, safety, morals, comfort, convenience and general welfare. This chapter shall not be deemed to affect in any manner whatsoever any easements, covenants or other agreements between parties; provided, however, that where this chapter imposes a greater restriction upon the use of buildings or land, or upon the erection, construction, establishment, moving, alteration or enlargement of buildings, than are imposed by other ordinances, rules, regulations, licenses, certificates or other authorizations, or by easements or covenants or agreements, the provisions of this chapter shall prevail.

The provisions of this chapter shall be subject to such exceptions, additions or modifications as herein provided by the following general supplementary regulations.

Every building hereafter erected shall be located on a lot as herein defined and, except as herein provided, there shall be not more than one main building and its accessory buildings on one lot, except for nonresidential buildings in districts where such uses are permitted.

No yard or other open space provided about any building for the purpose of complying with the provisions of these regulations shall be included as any part of the yard or open space for any other building, and no yard or any other open space on one lot shall be considered as a yard or open space for a building on any other lot.

No lot or lots or parcel or parcels of land shall be created by the division of any existing lot or parcel unless both of the following conditions are met:

Where a question exists as to the proper application of any of the requirements of this chapter to a particular lot or irregular shape of the lot or parcel, the Board of Appeals shall determine how the requirements of the chapter shall be applied.

No building permit shall be issued for the erection, alteration or use of a building on a lot which does not comply with the requirements of this chapter as to lot area, street frontage, lot width or lot depth unless a variance is obtained therefor.

A paved terrace shall not be considered a part of a building in the determination of lot coverage or yard requirements; provided, however, that such terrace is unroofed and without walls, parapets or other forms of enclosure. Such terrace, however, may have a guard-railing, wall or fence, not over three feet high, and such terrace shall not project into any yard to a point closer than five feet to any lot line.

No porch may project into any required yard. Any two-story or any enclosed porch, or one having a roof and capable of being enclosed, shall be considered a part of the building in determining the yard requirements or amount of lot coverage.

Architectural features, such as window sills, belt courses, chimneys, cornices, eaves or bay windows, shall not project more than three feet into any required yard. The sum of any bay window projections on any wall shall not exceed 1/4 the length of any said wall.

Open fire escapes may extend into any required yard not more than six feet.[1]

The height limitations of this chapter shall not apply to places of worship, spires, belfries, cupolas and domes not used for human occupancy nor to chimneys, ventilators, skylights, water tanks, bulkheads or similar features and necessary mechanical appurtenances usually carried above the roof level. These features, however, shall be erected only to a height necessary to accomplish the purpose they are intended to serve, and the total area covered by such features shall not exceed 15% of the area of the roof on which they are located.

No clothesline or -lines, drying racks, poles or other similar devices for hanging clothes, rags or other fabrics shall be installed, erected, used or maintained in a front yard or side yard. If there is a practical difficulty or unnecessary hardship in drying such clothes or fabrics elsewhere on the premises, a permit shall be issued by the Village Clerk permitting the use of said front yard or side yard for such purpose, upon approval of the finding by the Superintendent of Construction of the Village that the drying of clothes, rags or other fabrics elsewhere on the premises will create a practical difficulty or unnecessary hardship. If a permit is denied, the applicant may appeal to the Board of Zoning Appeals of the Village of East Rockaway for relief. Such Board may, after due public hearing, and in conformity with the provisions of the Village Law of the State of New York as well as the provisions of §§ 288-127 through 288-134, grant such relief. No linens, bedding, blankets, rags or other fabrics shall be hung over, upon or from a balustrade, railing, parapet, fire escape, window or any opening in a wall, which faces a front yard or a side yard.

No person shall install, operate or use any outdoor wood-burning device on any property in the Village of East Rockaway, except in the case of an emergency or natural disaster which makes utilization of a heating system other than an outdoor wood-burning device impossible or impractical.