Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Town of Geddes, New York

Town of Geddes’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Construction, buildings, structures, and alterations inside the Town of Geddes.

  • Ordinary maintenance and internal rearrangements not involving structural change, changes in water and drainage lines, or installation of new electric circuits do not require a permit.
  • A separate permit is required from the Code Enforcement Officer for each building or structure.

  “No construction shall be started nor any building or structure or the alteration of any existing building started without first obtaining a building permit. Nothing in this chapter shall require a permit to perform ordinary maintenance or to make internal rearrangements which do not involve structural change or changes in water and drainage lines or installation of new electric circuits.”

• Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

  Construction of new structures and alteration of existing structures inside the Town of Geddes.

  • The cited rule applies to all new construction and alteration of existing structures.

  “New York State Uniform Fire Prevention and Building Code”

• InspectionsRequired

  Buildings, structures, and sites subject to a Town of Geddes building-permit application.

  • The Code Enforcement Officer may conduct inspections during and upon completion of permitted work.
  • The Building Department must maintain records of examinations and inspections.

  “Before issuing a certificate of occupancy, the Code Enforcement Officer shall examine or cause to be examined all buildings, structures and sites for which an application has been filed for a building permit to construct, enlarge, alter, repair or change the use or nature of occupancy, and he may conduct such inspections as he deems appropriate from time to time during and upon completion of the work for which a building permit has been issued.”

• Certificate of occupancyRequired

  Buildings inside the Town of Geddes requiring construction permits, and changes in the nature of occupancy of existing buildings.

  • For newly constructed buildings a certificate of occupancy is issued; for alterations and additions to existing buildings, a certificate of compliance is issued.
  • An occupancy change requires a certificate of occupancy from the Code Enforcement Officer.

  “No building [...] shall be used or occupied”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside the Town of Geddes, New York.

  • Chapter 240 includes the Town of Geddes Official Zoning Map.

  “the Town of Geddes is hereby divided into the following zoning districts:”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Zoning districts inside the Town of Geddes.

  • The Chapter 240 table of contents identifies Residential A, Residential B, Residential C, and Residential D districts among the published district regulations.

  “Residential A [...] Residential B [...] Residential C [...] Residential D”

• Permit feesVariable (with conditions)

  Building permits issued by the Town of Geddes.

  • The Board of Trustees sets fees by resolution and may change them from time to time.

  “Building permit fees shall be as set by resolution of the Board of Trustees from time to time.”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Building-permit applications inside the Town of Geddes.

  • Applications are made to the Code Enforcement Officer on provided forms.
  • The application must include the stated information, including zoning compliance, owner name and address, work description, and work valuation.
  • The Code Enforcement Officer approves or disapproves the application within 30 days of submission.

  approval-or-disapproval period: <= 30 days (Measured from submission of the application.)

  “Application for a building permit shall be made to the Code Enforcement Officer on forms provided by him and shall contain the following information:”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Town of Geddes or Onondaga County directly.

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder construction inside the Town of Geddes.
• Minimum dwelling size — Single-family dwellings inside the Town of Geddes.
• Minimum lot size — Residential lots inside the Town of Geddes.
• Setbacks — Structures inside the Town of Geddes.
• Lot coverage — Lots inside the Town of Geddes.

Each answer was extracted from an official source and independently re-checked against that source by a second reviewer. That is an evidence check, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the authority before you buy or build.

Off-grid gear

Going off-grid in Town of Geddes means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

• Water Crystal Quest Filter any source — well, rain, or creek — to drinking-clean.
• Power Bluetti Solar generators and home battery backup for living off the grid.
• Septic Soil percolation test kit Run your own perc test before paying an engineer — the first thing a septic office asks about.
• Water Well water test kit Bacteria, nitrates, hardness — know what the well on a parcel is really pumping.

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