Pittsford Town City Zoning Code
ARTICLE I
General Provisions
§ 185-1 Title, purpose and intent.
A.
Title. This chapter and the Official Zoning Map made a part hereof shall be known and may be cited and referred to as the "Zoning Law of the Town of Pittsford."
B.
Purpose and intent. This chapter is enacted in order to promote the health, safety, morals and welfare of the residents of the Town of Pittsford and to implement the Comprehensive Plan of the Town. To these ends, this chapter is designed:
(1)
To guide and regulate the orderly growth, development and redevelopment of the Town of Pittsford in accordance with a well-considered plan and with long-term objectives, principles and standards deemed beneficial to the interest and welfare of the people.
(2)
To protect the established character of existing residential neighborhoods and commercial and business areas and the social and economic well-being of the residents.
(3)
To promote, in the public interest, the utilization of land for the purposes for which it is best adapted in harmony with the established character of the Town.
(4)
To reduce or prevent congestion in the public streets.
(5)
To facilitate the creation of a convenient, attractive and harmonious community.
(6)
To expedite the provision of adequate transportation, water, sewerage, flood protection, disaster evacuation, schools, parks, forests, playgrounds, recreational facilities and other public requirements.
(7)
To protect against destruction of, or encroachment upon, historic areas and sites.
(8)
To preserve existing and facilitate the provision of new housing to the community.
(9)
To protect against one or more of the following: overcrowding of land, undue concentration of population in relation to the community facilities existing or available, obstruction of light and air, danger and congestion in travel and transportation or loss of life, health or property from fire, flood, panic or other dangers.
(10)
To promote the public necessity, health, safety, convenience and general welfare by equitably apportioning the cost of providing the additional public facilities necessitated or required by development.
(11)
To provide for the preservation of environmentally sensitive areas and agricultural lands.
§ 185-2 Applicability.
A.
Territorial application. The regulations and restrictions in this chapter shall apply to all buildings, structures, land, water and uses within the territorial limits of the Town of Pittsford, New York, outside the Village of Pittsford.
B.
General application. All buildings and structures erected hereafter, all uses of land, water or buildings established hereafter, all structural alterations or relocations of existing buildings occurring hereafter and all enlargements of, additions to, changes in and relocations of existing uses occurring hereafter shall be subject to all regulations of this chapter. Existing buildings, structures and uses which comply with the regulations of this chapter shall likewise be subject to all regulations of this chapter. Existing buildings, structures and uses which do not comply with the regulations of this chapter shall be governed by the provisions of Article XXXII.
§ 185-3 Compliance required.
No building or structure, no use of any building, structure or land, and no lot now or hereafter existing shall hereafter be established, altered, moved, divided or maintained in any manner except as authorized by the provisions of this chapter.
§ 185-4 Construal of provisions.
A.
Conflicting provisions. Whenever any provision of this chapter imposes a greater requirement or a higher standard than is required in any state or federal statute or other Town law or regulation, the provision of this chapter shall govern. Whenever any provision of any state or federal statute or other Town law or regulation imposes a greater requirement or a higher standard than is required by this chapter, the provision of such state or federal statute or other Town law or regulation shall govern.
B.
Provisions are minimum requirements. In interpreting and applying the provisions of this chapter, they shall be held to be the minimum requirements for the promotion of the public safety, health, convenience, comfort, prosperity, morals or general welfare.
§ 185-5 Official Zoning Map.
A.
The Town is hereby divided into the zoning districts provided in Articles III through XIV of this chapter and as shown on the map entitled "Official Zoning Map, Pittsford, New York," which map, together with all explanatory matter thereon, is hereby adopted by reference and declared to be part of this chapter.
B.
Regardless of the existence of purported copies of the Official Zoning Map, the Official Zoning Map shall be located in the office of the Commissioner of Public Works and shall be the final authority as to the current zoning status of land and water areas, buildings and other structures in the Town, save for subsequent amendments enacted by the Town Board and not yet officially recorded on said map.
C.
No changes of any nature shall be made to the Official Zoning Map or any matter shown thereon except upon resolution of the Town Board, and it shall be unlawful for any person to make unauthorized changes on the Official Zoning Map.
§ 185-6 Administration; fees.
A.
The Commissioner of Public Works shall be responsible for the administration and enforcement of this chapter.
B.
The Town Board shall, by resolution, adopt a schedule of fees for each of the development permits and approvals provided by this chapter, which fees shall be designed to cover the Town's administrative costs related to such permits and may be revised from time to time by subsequent resolution.
C.
The Commissioner of Public Works, or his designee, shall serve as the secretary of the Zoning Board of Appeals and of the Planning Board.
§ 185-7 Penalties for offenses.
A.
Any person who shall violate any provision of this chapter or shall fail to comply with any of its provisions or shall violate or fail to comply with any order, rule, permit, approval or regulation made hereunder shall be guilty of a violation of this chapter.
B.
Every violation of this chapter is hereby declared to be an offense punishable by a fine not exceeding $350 or imprisonment for a period not to exceed six months, or both, for conviction of a first offense; for conviction of a second offense, both of which were committed within a period of five years, punishable by a fine of not less than $350 nor more than $700 or imprisonment for a period not to exceed six months, or both; and for conviction for a third or subsequent offense, all of which were committed within a period of five years, punishable by a fine of not less than $700 nor more than $1,000 or imprisonment for a period not to exceed six months, or both.
C.
For the purpose of conferring jurisdiction upon courts and judicial officers generally, violations of this chapter shall be deemed misdemeanors, and for such purpose only, all provisions of law relating to misdemeanors shall apply to such violations.
D.
Each week's continued violation shall constitute a separate additional violation.
E.
In addition to the remedies provided in Subsection B above, the Commissioner of Public Works, or his designated agent, is authorized to issue a stop-work order to any person acting in violation of any provision of this chapter or the terms of any permit or approval granted thereunder. Such order, posted at a work site, shall be sufficient notice to require such violator to immediately cease work on the site until an appropriate permit is obtained or the violation otherwise corrected. Failure to abide by a stop-work order shall constitute an additional violation of this chapter.