Offer a variety of options to landowners who wish to develop tracts of land in the Town of Goshen;

Ensure that development projects do not damage the quantity or quality of the Town's groundwater supplies, protect the Town's environmental resources and scenic views, preserve significant tracts of intact open space land, maintain the Town's predominantly rural appearance, conform to the natural terrain to the greatest extent practicable, and provide a range of housing options that meets the need for affordable housing in the Town and region;

Encourage the creation of safe and sociable neighborhoods in which alternatives to the automobile are viable means of transportation;

Maintain property values of land proposed for development as well as existing homes adjoining such land;

Offer options for small-scale subdivision for landowners who seek some financial return on their land but do not wish to sell their land to developers for large-scale development;

Permit the adaptive reuse of existing structures, and the construction of new structures compatible with the Town's rural character and historic architecture, for small-scale business purposes.

Small-scale development is any development of land that results in the creation of no more than four new residential lots (excluding the parent parcel from which they are subdivided) covering a maximum of 25% of the area of a parcel. Small-scale development includes the development of existing residential lots. This option is designed to minimize the burden and cost of development for landowners building on existing lots or creating only a small number of lots. Ongoing studies of the groundwater resources in the Town indicate that full-scale development of large parcels with small lot sizes could have negative impacts on groundwater. However, small amounts of such development on a portion of a larger parcel, if combined with a Town program to preserve open space and reduce development in other locations, may enable the Town to preserve its groundwater quality while allowing some small lot development.

Open space development allows units to be located or clustered on those portions of a property most suitable for development, while leaving substantial portions as undeveloped open space. Open space developments are intended to offer the landowner great flexibility, and may include a variety of lot sizes, ranging from large farm or estate lots to small hamlet-size lots. Open space development results in the preservation of contiguous open space and important environmental resources. See § 97-20.

Conservation density developments are low-density subdivisions in which the average lot size is 20 acres or more. These help to preserve open space by keeping large amounts of land undeveloped. As an incentive to creating such subdivisions, Town road construction requirements and frontage requirements may be waived, as provided in § 97-22.

The basis of the environmental control formula is the classification of soil types into 15 soil groups. Each soil group has been assigned an environmental factor related to its ability to support sewage disposal systems. (See the following Soils Table.) These factors are applied to site acreage in each soil group to determine the minimum permitted lot sizes as set forth in Subsection D(2).

Calculation of minimum permitted lot size. Each proposed lot within a subdivision must have sufficient area to support an on-site well and sewage disposal system. To determine whether a proposed lot has sufficient area, use the following formula:

Waiver of environmental control formula. The Planning Board may waive the environmental control formula for subdivisions within the RU District, provided that the applicant demonstrates through site-specific soils and other testing and analysis to the satisfaction of the Planning Board and its engineering consultants that the lots are appropriately sized and designed to accommodate the individual and/or shared septic and water systems proposed.

For parcels that are greater than 32 acres, the four new lots shall consume no more than covering a maximum of 25% of the land area of a parcel. Minimum lot sizes shall be established pursuant to Subsection C below.

For parcels of 32 acres or less, the four new lots may consume more than 25% of the land area of a parcel. The minimum lot size for such new lot shall be at least three acres in the AQ-3 District and six acres in the AQ-6 District, unless the applicant performs well tests that demonstrate to the satisfaction of the Planning Board, in consultation with the Town Engineer or hydrologist, that smaller lots will not adversely affect water supply on the lots or in the surrounding area. In such a case, the new lots shall comply with Subsection C below.

Any approved small-scale subdivision plat shall contain a note stating that no more than four lots may be created by small-scale development and that future subdivision beyond four lots will be subject to the requirements in Subsection D below.

For purposes of this § 97-19, the determination of parcel size shall be based on the parcel as it existed on June 10, 2004.

Each rear lot shall have either a minimum frontage of 25 feet on an improved public or private road and an access strip as defined in this chapter, or a deeded right-of-way easement over other lands providing legally adequate and physically practical access to a public or private road.

Minimum lot sizes for rear lots shall be three times the size required in Subsection C above. The area of the access strip shall not be counted in the calculation of minimum lot size.

Except as indicated in Subsection F(2) above, rear lots shall meet all other requirements for a small-scale lot in the applicable AQ District. Minimum lot width shall be the same dimension as the minimum required road frontage. The minimum setbacks shall be 30 feet on all sides.

There shall be no more than four adjoining lots or access strips. Subdivisions of five or more rear lots shall satisfy the requirements for conservation density subdivisions in § 97-22.

All rear lots shall have safe access for fire, police, and emergency vehicles.

The proposed rear lots shall not result in degradation of important natural resource and landscape features, including but not limited to ponds, streams, steep slopes, ridgelines, and wetlands.

When necessary to satisfy the criteria in Subsection F(6) above, the Planning Board may require the applicant to grant a conservation easement or restrictive covenant enforceable by the Town that limits the area within which the house and driveway may be constructed on the rear lot.

To determine unconstrained acreage, subtract from the total (gross) acreage of the proposed development parcel the acreage of constrained land as defined in § 97-84. Fractional units of acreage 0.5 or less shall be rounded down and fractional units of acreage greater than 0.5 shall be rounded up.

The "base" number of allowable residential units on the site is 33% of the number of unconstrained acres on the property in the AQ-6 Overlay District. The "base" number of allowable residential units on the site is 50% of the number of unconstrained acres on the property in the AQ-3 Overlay District. This is the base number of units that can be built on the property (if allowed by § 97-27).

As part of any sketch plan submission for an open space development, an applicant shall prepare a conservation analysis, consisting of inventory maps, description of the land, and an analysis of the conservation value of various site features. The conservation analysis shall show lands with conservation value on the parcel and within 300 feet of the boundaries of the parcel, including but not limited to the following:

The conservation analysis shall describe the importance and the current and potential conservation value of all land on the site identified in Subsection B(1) above. In the course of its initial sketch plan review, the Planning Board shall indicate to the applicant which of the lands identified as being of conservation value are most important to preserve.

The outcome of the conservation analysis and the Planning Board's determination shall be incorporated into the approved sketch plan showing land to be permanently preserved by a conservation easement, as well as recommended conservation uses, ownership, and management guidelines for such land. The sketch plan shall also show preferred locations for more dense development as well as acceptable locations for less dense development.

The final determination as to which land has the most conservation value and should be protected from development by conservation easement shall be made by the Planning Board, which shall make written findings supporting its decision (the "conservation findings"). The Planning Board shall deny an application that does not include a complete conservation analysis sufficient for the Board to make its conservation findings.

The sketch plan shall show that at least 50% of the total acreage will be preserved by conservation easement, based upon the conservation findings.

Roads shall be designed based upon the conservation analysis to maximize preservation of important natural features on the property, including but not limited to watercourses, wetlands, large trees, scenic views, agricultural fields, and stone walls. Roads shall follow the contour of the land and minimize cutting and filling.

Road access to lots shall be from interior roads rather than existing public roads to the extent practical. The minimum road frontage for lots on existing roads shall be 300 feet, unless the Planning Board determines that due to topographic conditions a lesser frontage is appropriate. The average road frontage per lot on new interior roads shall be a minimum of 70 feet, and the minimum individual lot frontage shall be 50 feet, except for rear lots that comply with § 97-19F. Applicants may be granted waivers from the road width requirements in the subdivision regulations for open space developments with 20 or fewer lots.

Lots shall be arranged in a manner that protects land of conservation value and facilitates pedestrian and bicycle circulation. The lot layout shall generally follow applicable portions of the Rural Design Guidelines and Hamlet Design Guidelines referred to in § 97-5, adapted as necessary to conform to the requirements of this chapter. Requirements of the subdivision regulations concerning the shape or geometry of lots may be waived by the Planning Board as necessary to comply with this subsection.

Road, lot and building configurations shall comply with the rural siting principles in § 97-41.

Minimum lot sizes. The minimum lot size shall be one acre for lots with individual wells and septic systems, subject to the environmental control formula in § 97-18D which may result in a larger lot size. Constrained land may be included in individual lots and counted toward lot area, provided that it is protected from development. For lots that are connected to public sewer and public water, there shall be no minimum lot size. For lots that have either public water or public sewer (but not both), the minimum lot size shall be established by the Planning Board based upon site-specific soil and hydrological conditions.

Setbacks. Appropriate minimum setbacks in an open space development depend upon the lot sizes, the type of road frontage (state, county, Town or private) and the character of the subdivision (hamlet, suburban, or rural). Accordingly, setback (or build-to line) requirements shall be established at the time of plat approval and shall be shown in a chart on the plat.

Height. Maximum building height shall be 35 feet except as otherwise provided in § 97-40D.

Common buildings for dining, recreation, and for entertaining and lodging guests of the residents.

Child-care facilities for residents of the development as well as those outside the development.

Office space for use by administrators of the development as well as for use by residents of the development in the conduct of their business, provided that such offices comply with the rules applicable to home occupations in § 97-51B(2).

Storage facilities, which may be used as needed for the needs of the development and its residents. If such facilities are used for business purposes, they shall comply with the rules applicable to home occupations in § 97-51B(2).

Recreational facilities for use by residents and their guests.

A perpetual conservation easement restricting development of the open space land and allowing use only for agriculture, forestry, recreation, protection of natural resources, or similar conservation purposes, pursuant to § 247 of the General Municipal Law and/or §§ 49-0301 through 49-0311 of the Environmental Conservation Law, shall be granted to the Town, with the approval of the Town Board, or to a qualified not-for-profit conservation organization acceptable to the Planning Board. Such conservation easement shall be approved by the Planning Board and shall be required as a condition of subdivision plat approval. The Planning Board may require that the conservation easement be enforceable by the Town if the Town is not the holder of the conservation easement. The conservation easement shall be recorded in the County Clerk's office prior to or simultaneously with the filing of the final subdivision plat in the County Clerk's office.

The conservation easement shall prohibit residential, industrial, or commercial use of open space land (except in connection with agriculture, forestry, and recreation) and shall not be amendable to permit such use. Access roads, driveways, local utility distribution lines, trails, wells, septic systems and other subsurface sewage treatment facilities, temporary structures for outdoor recreation, and agricultural structures shall be permitted on preserved open space land, provided that they do not impair the conservation value of the land. Dwellings may be constructed on portions of parcels that include preserved open space land, but not within the area protected by the conservation easement.

Open space land may be owned in common by a homeowners' association (HOA), dedicated to Town, county, or state government, transferred to a nonprofit organization acceptable to the Planning Board, held in private ownership, or held in such other form of ownership as the Planning Board finds adequate to properly manage the open space land and to protect its conservation value. The ownership entity and structure shall be selected based upon the conservation analysis and management objectives established by the Planning Board for the protected open space.

If the land is owned in common by an HOA, such HOA shall be established in accordance with the following:

Ongoing maintenance standards shall be established, enforceable by the Town against an owner of open space land as a condition of subdivision approval, to ensure that the open space land is not used for storage or dumping of refuse, junk or other offensive or hazardous materials.

If the Town Board finds that the provisions of Subsection E(1) above are being violated such that the condition of the land constitutes a public nuisance, it may, upon 30 days' written notice to the owner, enter the premises for necessary maintenance, and the cost of such maintenance by the Town shall be assessed ratably against the landowner or, in the case of an HOA, the owners of properties within the development and shall, if unpaid, become a tax lien on such property or properties.

The average lot size in the proposed subdivision is at least 20 acres.

A perpetual conservation easement is placed on the land to be subdivided, to maintain its natural and scenic qualities, to restrict building to those locations deemed by the Planning Board not to be environmentally or visually sensitive, and to ensure that the land will not be subdivided to a density higher than one residence per 20 acres. The Planning Board may require a conservation analysis as provided for in § 97-20B in order to determine the content of such conservation easement. The Planning Board may require that the conservation easement and the plat contain "building envelopes" indicating acceptable locations for building on each lot.

Adequate access to all parcels by fire trucks, ambulances, police cars and other emergency vehicles can be ensured by private roads and/or common driveways. Private roads serving more than four lots shall comply with applicable private road standards in the Town's highway specifications.

The maximum number of lots gaining access through any portion of a private road shall be 12.

Written approval from the Town Superintendent of Highways and the Town's Engineer shall be secured before approval of any private roads.

A homeowners' association (HOA) shall be created to own and provide for the perpetual care and maintenance of the private road. Such HOA shall meet all requirements for an open space HOA set forth in § 97-21D(2) above. The HOA shall have the power to assess the subdivision lot owners for their share of the maintenance costs of the private road. The HOA shall contract with a qualified road contractor to ensure that the road will always be maintained and kept open to permit emergency vehicle access. In the event that a private road contractor does not properly maintain the road, the Town of Goshen may assume maintenance responsibilities and charge the HOA for all reasonable costs thereof. Such costs, if unpaid for more than 60 days, shall, along with attorneys' fees for their collection, become a lien on the property and be enforceable in the same manner as a property tax lien. The Planning Board shall have discretion to determine whether the applicant should be required to establish a maintenance fund at the time of approval and, if so, how much of a deposit should be required. The Planning Board shall also have discretion to determine whether a performance bond shall be posted by the applicant to ensure the proper completion of the private road and, if so, how much the performance bond shall be and what form it shall take.

The HOA shall provide, at regular intervals determined by the Planning Board (not to exceed five years), a written certification from a licensed professional engineer that the physical integrity of the private road is adequate to meet its present needs and the needs which can reasonably be anticipated in the future.

The private road may never be offered for dedication to the Town of Goshen unless it conforms to Town highway specifications for rural streets in effect on the date of the offer of dedication. However, the Town Board shall be under no obligation to accept such an offer of dedication, even if the road conforms to Town highway specifications. In the event such dedication becomes necessary to ensure public safety, the cost of bringing the road up to Town highway specifications shall be borne by the HOA.

The lots in the conservation density subdivision shall be restricted by conservation easement so that they may never be subdivided beyond the number of lots permitted in Subsection A, regardless of whether the private road remains a private road.

The subdivision plat shall show the road clearly labeled "Private Road."

Road design shall comply with the standards for private roads in Chapter 83, Subdivision of Land, of the Code of the Town of Goshen.