The Town of Schodack is hereby divided into the following zoning districts:

The following overlay districts are also hereby created:

Residential Agricultural (RA) District. The RA District is a low-density agricultural and residentially zoned district. The land included in this district is considered to be well suited for agriculture and may have environmental constraints, including steep slopes, erodible soils, water quality, and ecologically sensitive areas that affect the development potential and development pattern of the land. Such lands are typically not served by municipal water or sewer. Development within this district should seek to protect the Town's rural character and agricultural resources in accordance with the Town's Comprehensive Plan.

Residential (R) District. The purpose of the Residential (R) District is to maintain and protect residential and neighborhood qualities while recognizing the importance of meeting the changing housing needs of Town residents; to provide for and encourage a mixture of housing types and opportunities; to provide for and encourage open spaces; to provide for the protection of the Town's natural resources, such as the Schodack Terrace Aquifer, by encouraging residential development with sanitary sewer and water systems; to encourage the planting of shade trees and gardens; to foster safe pedestrian and traffic circulation; and to recognize the existence of nonconforming uses and to maintain their operation in an unobtrusive fashion.

Hamlet Mixed Use District. The purpose of the Hamlet Mixed Use (HM) District is to encourage mixed-use development that balances residential and compatible, low-impact commercial/retail, professional offices, schools, community services, civic uses, and parks to promote attractive and architecturally compatible development. This District encourages lots to be used for both a business and a private residence to promote economic development in the Town while balancing the housing needs of its residents.

Town Center Districts. The purpose of the Town Center (TC) Districts are to promote a mix of land uses that foster a live, work, shop, play environment that is designed to make walking, bicycling, and public transportation viable, safe, and attractive alternatives to driving.

Commercial Mixed-Use District. The purpose of this Commercial Mixed Use (CM) District is a transition district between the Town Center Districts and the Commercial (C) District. This district promotes a mix of uses that may include a combination of residential, commercial, and/or office uses that are well thought out and planned as a single development.

Commercial District. The purpose of the Commercial (C) District is to provide areas of the Town for retail and nonresidential development of a variety of scales which are primarily vehicular oriented; to provide a variety of retail uses and services to meet the needs of the community; and to add to the economic base of the community.

Regional Commercial District. This purpose of this Regional Commercial (RC) District is to promote and attract larger commercial uses that would benefit from the interstate access.

Marine Commercial (MC) District. The purposes of the Marine Commercial (MC) District is to support the historic role played by the Town's waterfront in the development of the Town; to encourage river-oriented commercial and recreational activities consistent with sound environmental practices; and to enhance public access to the Hudson River.

Planned Waterfront District. The purpose of the Planned Waterfront (PW) District is to encourage river-oriented commercial, residential, and recreational activities consistent with the adopted Local Waterfront Revitalization Plan (LWRP).

Manufacturing District. The purpose of the Manufacturing (M) District is to provide for the special needs of industry for relatively flat land with access to transportation networks and utilities, while protecting the integrity of residential neighborhoods and commercial activity.

Planned Development District. The purpose of the Planned Development (PDD) District is intended to provide for flexible land development and/or flexible mix of land uses in accordance of the regulations of this chapter and in accordance with the Town's Comprehensive Plan.

Flood-Fringe Overlay District. The purpose of the Flood-Fringe (FF-O) Overlay District is to protect the public health and safety by prohibiting development in the overlay area unless the floodproofing requirements of the Flood Insurance Program and the Town, and any amendments or revisions as may be adopted, are met.[1]

Mobile Home Neighborhood Overlay District. It is the purpose of the Mobile Home Neighborhood (MHO) Overlay District to provide for planned mobile home residential developments, including related recreational and other service facilities. It is further the purpose to establish sites at appropriate locations within the Town in relation to existing and potential development areas and in relation to other uses and community facilities.

Mining and Extraction Overlay District. It is the purpose of the Mining and Extraction Overlay (ME-O) District to recognize that earth, sand, gravel, rock, peat and mineral resources within the Town are necessary and beneficial to the economy of the community and welfare of its citizens.

Solar Utility Overlay District. The purpose of these the Solar Utility (SU-O) Overlay District is to provide utility-scale solar collector systems through performance criteria that balance the unique characteristics of each site.

Where district boundaries are indicated as approximately following the center lines or right-of-way lines of streets, highways and railroads, public utility easements or watercourses, said boundaries shall be construed to be coincident with such lines. Such boundaries shall be deemed to be automatically adjusted if a center line or right-of-way line of such street, highway, railroad, public utility or watercourse is moved a maximum distance of 50 feet.

Where district boundaries are indicated as approximately following the Town or Village boundary lines, property lines, lot lines or projections thereof, said boundaries shall be construed to be coincident with such lines or projections thereof.

Where district boundaries are so indicated that they are approximately parallel to the Town or Village boundary line, property lines, lot lines, right-of-way lines or projections thereof, said boundaries shall be construed as being parallel thereto and at such distances therefrom as indicated on the Zoning Map or as shall be determined by use of the scale shown on the Zoning Map.

Where a zoning district boundary line divides a single lot at the time such line is established, the following shall apply:

In all other cases, where dimensions are not shown on the Zoning Map, the location of the boundaries shown on the map shall be determined by the use of the scale appearing thereon.

No building, structure or land shall hereafter be used or occupied, and no building or structure or part thereof shall hereafter be erected, moved, altered, reconstructed or enlarged except in conformance with the regulations herein specified for the district in which it is located.

No part of a yard or other open space required in connection with any building or use shall be included as part of a yard or other open space similarly required for another building.

No yard or lot existing at the time of passage of this chapter shall be reduced in size or area below the minimum requirements set forth herein. Yards or lots created after the effective date of this chapter shall meet the minimum requirements established by this chapter.

No off-street parking or loading space required for one building or use shall be included as meeting, in whole or part, the off-street parking or loading space required for another building or use except as otherwise provided for this chapter.

No off-street parking or loading space shall be so reduced in area that it does not meet the requirements of this chapter.

Within each district, the regulations set forth by this chapter shall be considered minimum regulations and shall apply uniformly to each kind of building, structure or land.

No vehicle or boat or other similar structure shall be used for storage except as allowed herein.

All development within the Flood-Fringe Overlay District, as mapped by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), shall be subject to the special use permit review procedure as provided by Article X of this chapter, including those special design requirements stated in herein.[1]

All uses proposed within the Flood-Fringe Overlay District (FF-O) shall be considered special use permit uses, subject to review by the Planning Board for compliance with Chapter 118, Flood Damage Prevention, as certified to by a registered architect or licensed professional engineer.

Purpose. The purpose of this district is to permit riverfront land to be used for certain activities which depend on or are enhanced by access to the water while protecting the unique and fragile natural resources of the waterfront area. Approval of development proposals will be based on the demonstration of need for a waterfront location and evaluation of the measures proposed to protect natural resources.

Permitted uses.

Special uses. The following uses may be approved in accord with the procedures and criteria set forth in Subsection D below and subject to the development standards set forth in Subsection E below.

Submission requirements and approval criteria.

Development standards.