This chapter shall be known as the "Village of Lake George Zoning Law." The Village of Lake George is hereinafter referred to as the "Village."

Enactment of this chapter by the Village is pursuant to Article 7, § 7-700, of the Village Law of the State of New York, and Article 27 of the Executive Law of the State of New York and pursuant to Municipal Home Rule Law and the Constitution of State of New York, and the Village Board hereby declares its legislative intent to supersede any provision of any local law, rule, regulation or provision of the Village Law inconsistent with this chapter. The Village Law provisions intended to be superseded include those portions of Article 7, §§ 7-725-a and 7-725-b, as they relate to the recovery of expenses incurred when the Village employs professional assistance during the site plan and special use permit review processes and any other provision of law that the Village may supersede pursuant to the Municipal Home Rule Law and the Constitution of the State of New York. The courts are hereby directed to take notice of this legislative intent and apply it in the event the Village has failed to specify any provision of law that may require supersession. The Village Board hereby declares that it would have enacted this chapter and superseded such inconsistent provision had the need to do so been apparent.

The regulations of this chapter shall be made in accordance with the Comprehensive Master Plan for the Village, and this chapter is designed to promote the health, safety and general welfare of the community. Further, it is the purpose of this chapter to protect the property values and aesthetics of the community by channeling and directing growth, and by regulating and restricting the height, number of stories and size of buildings and other structures; the percentage of lot that may be occupied; the size of the yard, courts and other open spaces; the density of population; and the location and use of buildings, structures and land for trade, industry, residence and other purposes, to the maximum extent permissible within the proper exercise of the police power as delegated by New York State Village Law. Further, it is the purpose of this chapter to preserve the beauty and character of the Adirondack Park setting to the benefit of the community, and to retain the natural vistas of the Adirondacks and of Lake George to the benefit of the residents and visitors to the community. Further, it is the purpose of this chapter to preserve the local history and culture through proper development and to preserve green space. Further, it is the purpose of this chapter to support existing recreation, cultural and historical features.

Nothing in this chapter shall be deemed to supersede, alter, enlarge or impair the jurisdiction of the Adirondack Park Agency, pursuant to the Adirondack Park Agency Act, the Freshwater Wetlands Act, and the Wild and Scenic and Recreational Rivers Act, to review and approve, approve subject to conditions, and disapprove, those land uses and developments and subdivisions of land defined therein as Class A regional projects, or otherwise to supersede, alter or impair the statutory function, duties and responsibilities of the Agency with regard to matters involving a village in which an Agency-approved local land use program has been validly adopted or enacted, provided that the Adirondack Park Agency cannot, in the context of its Class A regional project review, override a local decision not to permit a given land use or development.