HomeMy WebLinkAboutLocal Law 1 of 2026_Amend Zoning Law of 2022_Adopted 4.7.2026 TMPKlNS
COUNTY
L T N OF DANBY - TomPKINS COUNTY
4r 1830 DANBY ROAD ( 7) 277-478
ITr A A,NEW YORK 1 50-9419 Fax; (607) 277-0559
Resolution 128 of 2026 —Adoption of Local Law No. I of 2026,
Amendments to the Zoning Law, Local Law No. I of 2022
Whereas the Townof Danby Town Board,based on recommendations from the Town's
Regulatory Review o i tee and PlanningBoard,wishes to amend Sections 401, 501,
604, 605, 705, Appendix 1, and Appendix II of the Zoning Law, Local Law No. I of 2022
("Local Law No. 1 of 26"); an
Whereas Section 1200 of the Zoning Law authorizes the Town Boardto amend its
regulations from time to time; and
Whereas adoption of Local Law No. I of 2026 is aType 1 action per 6CRR-NY
6 .4. .2m "the adoption of changes in the allowable uses within any zoning district
affecting 25 or more acres of the district"; and. '
Whereas the Town Boardissued a Negative Determination of environmental
significance pursuant tote State Environmental Quality Review Act on April 7, 26;
and
Whereas a public hearing was held at the Danby Town Hall, 1830 Danby Road, Ithaca,
14850 at 6:00 PM on April 7, 2026, after notice was duly given in the paper of
general circulation e town at least to I ) days in advance of such earin , an
Whereas pursuant to Section 1200 of the Zoning Law, a written notice oft e proposed
amendments affecting pro er tin 500 feet of the boundaries of any state park or
parkway was givento the regional State Park Commission having jurisdictionover such
park or parkway at least to ( days prior to the date of such public hearing; an
jWhereas Tompkins County Department of Planningand Sustainability pursuant to
S - , -m and-n of the New York State General Municipal Laweter i e that the
proposed amendments to the Zoning Law will not have significant county-wide or inter-
community impacts;
Now therefore be it
Resolvedthat the Town oar of the Town of Danby adopts Local Law No. 1 of 2026
on April7, 22 ; and
Resolved Further that the Town Clerkshall le Local Law No. I of 2026 with the
Department of State.
TOMPKINS
COUNTY
1830 DANBY ROAD (607) 277-47 8
I"THACA,NEW YORK 14850-9419 Fax: (607) 277-0559
Resolution
}
Amendments to the Zoning Law, Local Law No. I of 2022
Moved y Gagnon SecondedDillon
o ®
Connors Yes
Dillon s
Larkins Yes
Pruce Yes
Gagnon s
Resolution 128 qf2026s n April 7th,2026
Blake avo ,do herebycertify the above Resolution was passed at a meetingof
t Town of a Town oar o on April , , is incorporated i original
minutes ofsaid meeting,and that said resolution to adopt Local Law #1 of the Town of
Danby has not been altered, amended, or revoked, and is infullforce and effect.
1.
, �� # .
Blake Savoy Date
Danby Town Clerk
,d
Local Law 1 f 2026
ZoningAmendment of the -LocalL
ModifyTo the Standards of the Hamlet Center and HamletNeighborhood s,
Definitionsand Add rs and Cryptocurrency FacilitiesRelated
d it enacted the Town Boardof the Town of Danby in the County of Tompkins,as follows:
Section Authority
This Local law is adopted ursuant to§ 261 of the Town Law of the State of New York,which
authorizes the Town to adopt zoning provisions that advance and protectthe health,safety,
and welfare oft e community.
Sections
The purpose of this Local Law is to modify the use, dimensional, and designstandards of the
Hamlet Center and Hamlet Neighborhood Zoning Districts so that they more closely align with
the goals of the hamlets as positioned by the Town'Town's Comprehensive Plan and its Sustainable
Hamlets evitalization Plan, namely to encourage development in these areas of town.
Additionally, it shall be the purpose of this Local Law to define data centers and cryptocurrency
facilities and otherwise take no action to include such uses within any zoning districts,thereby
protecting the order, conduct,safety health and well-being of the residents of the Town who are
faced with heightenedrisks associated withcryptocurrency facilities and data centers.
Section 3.Amendment_ to the i Law
This Local Law amends Sections 401, 501, 604, 605, 705,Appendix I,and Appendix 11 of the
Town of Denby Zoning Law Local Law No. 1 of 2022.
Sectiont of Section 401
Section 401 entitled "Map" shall be repealed and replaced as follows:
Zones are bounded as shown n a map entitled "Town of DanbyZoning" adopted April 7,2026,
and signed the Town Clerk® New zones may be created as set forth in this Local Law.The
boundaries of the Aquifer High Vulnerability(AHV) Overlay Zone are established herein as
delineated on a map entitle "Town of Denby Zoning" adopted April 7, 2026,and kept on file in
the office of the Town Clerk.
Section
Section 501 entitled "Use and Occupancy"shall be repealed and replaced as follows:
o building or land shall hereafter be used or occupied and no building or part thereof shall be
Local Law No. 1 of 2026 Zoning Amendments 1
erected, moved or altered unless such action is in conformance with the regulations specified
for the zone in which said action occurs and any special regulations pertinent thereto. If an
applicant proposes a land use that does not clearly fall within any of the allowable uses
specified for the zone,the Planning e artr e t shall deny the application for a zoning permit
and inform the applicant of the process of appealing such denial to the Board of Zoning
Appeals, inform the applicant of the process of applying for a use variance,or refer the
applicant to the Town Board for its review and possible consideration of an amendment to this
laws When a proposed land use clearly falls within a category allowed in the specified zone or a
use defined in Appendix I,then such proposed land use shall not be interpreted as failing within
another category or defined use unless specifically stated elsewhere by this law.
Sectionc®Amendment of Section
604
Section 604 entitled "Hamlet Neighborhood Zone" shall be repealed and replaced as follows:
Section 604 HAMLET NEIGHBORHOOD ZONE—The Hamlet Neighborhood Zone is intended to
allow the development of a predominantly residential neighborhood adjacent to the Hamlet
Core.The Hamlet Neighborhood Zone encourages a mix of housing types and lot sizes with the
goal of building out a neighborhood where people of all ages can safely walk and where there
are housing options for all incomes and household types. Danby envisions its hamlet as a
walkable,green, and community-centered community-centered landscape that honors local heritage while
suppordng thrivingsocial and ecological life.Through thoughtful tree planting, integrated
st rmwater design,andspecies diversity,the ordinance fosters a resilient,welcoming public
realm and strong sense of place, an 's hamlet vision includes a continuous, healthy tree
canopy to ensure shady,walkable and diverse and resilient streetscaes, root zones free o
utility and construction conflicts, and a landscape that features green infrastructure to manage
storm water er at the source, protect water quality and reduce the negative impacts of flooding.
1® LOT SIZE®There is no minimum lot size in the Hamlet Neighborhood Zone. Lots are
encouraged o be as small as possible to e ®ciently use limited land in the Hamlet. ( of : some
land uses will require approval from the Tompkins County hole Health Department for the
collection and treatment of water and wastewater,which may affect lot size,)
® PRINCIPAL USES PERMITTEDRIGHT
In the H Ha let Neighborhood, no building or structure shall be erected,altered or
extended, and no land or building thereon shall be used for any purpose or purposes other than
the following:
as Residential use with 1-4 dwellingunits and customary accessory structures.
Agriculture
3m ACCESSORY USES PERMITTED y RIGHT.
Such accessory uses as are customarily incidental to permitted principal uses®
ao Accessory structure related to business use {durnpster enclosure, storage for business
Local Law No. 1 of 2026Zoning Amendments 2
use up to 400sqft, covered icycle parking, covered seating area, etc.).
b. Bed—and—breakfast establishments.
c. Family child care.
. Family adult care®
e. Home occupations.
f. Professional offices,where such office is part of the residence property and no more
than fine persons not residing on the premises are employed.
g. Agriculture
. PRINCIPAL USES PERMITTED LY BY SITE PLAN APPROVAL."
The following uses are allowed upon approval of a site plan by the Planning Boardsubject to
adopted pen ix II:Commercial and Hamlet Design Guidelines.
a. Community centers®
b. Child-care centers,group child care
c. Fire stations and other public buildings necessary forte protection or servicing of a
neighborhood.
. Libraries, museums.
e. Multiple-dwelling unit Residential 5+units
. Public and private schools, nursery schools,and institutions of higher education.
g. Public and privately owned but publicly accessible community parks and preserves,
h. Residential care/assisted living/rehabilitation facilities.
. PRINCIPAL USES PERMITTED L SITE PLAN APPROVAL, LIMITED TO CORNER LOTS
LOTS ON ROUTE / ANY ROAD.
a. Churches, mosques,synagogues,temples and other places of worship, convents,
re dries, parish houses.
b. Restaurants, bars and other places for serving food and beverages, and provided that
there is no drive-through window.
c, Repair Shop, Personal services, Cottage industry(Sees Section 02),provided the
establishment does not exceed 3,000 gross square feet in floor area,with the exception
of basement storage areas.
d. Retail use, provided the establishment does not exceed 3,000 gross square feet in floor
area, with the exception of basement storage areas, and providedthat there is no drive-
through window.
6. SETBACKS
a. Front Yard—Minimum ft measured from the edge of pavement
. Side Yard—10ft minimum.
c® Rear Yard®25ft minimum
7. MULTIPLE PRIMARY USESUIL I S
Lots in the Hamlet Neighborhood Zone are allowed to have multiple buildings with a mix of
allowed principal uses,
Local Law No. 1 of 2026 Zoning Amendments 3
8. FORM AND ARCHITECTURE REQUIREMENTS.
All new buildings and uses that require Site Plan Review must comply with Appendix 11:
Commercial & Hamlet Design Guidelines. There is no architectural design review for buildings
and uses that do not require Site Plan Review; however, compliance with the Guidelines,
regardless of whether Site Plan Review is required, is strongly encouraged to create uses and
buildings that are long-term assets to the hamlets.
9. LANDSCAPING REQUIREMENTSa
a. All new buildings,or renovations of over 50%of the building value, must have at least
tree for every 30 feet of road frontage.Trees installed to meet this requirement must be
1.5" DBH at the time of installation and must be maintained in good health® Planting is
exempt when existing above or below grade utilities prevent planting of trees, or if the
existing design of the street and buildings will not accommodate tree planting.
Coordination with utility providers in placing trees is advised.
Is. Every effort should be made to retain existing healthy shade trees 8" DBH and greater
due to the benefits they provide. Any tree of 8" D13H or more that is removed must be
replaced with trees(from the Town's suggested tree list) at a minimum of 50%of the
removed DBH. For example, removal of a 20" DBH tree would require replacement by a
minimum of five 2" DISH trees® Replacement trees can be installed on site or on publicly
owned or accessible park land in a location approved by the Planning Board.
c. If there are fewer than 8 required trees,they may all be the same non-Invasive species.
If there are between 8 and 24 required trees, no more than 40 percent can be of one
non-invasive species. If there are more than 24 required trees, no more than 24 percent
can be of one non-invasive species.
10. SIGNS.
a. Any sign required by law;
Is. official signs required by a governmental agency or utility, provided such sign does not
exceed 24 square feet in area;
c® A maximum of one under-awning sign of 4(four) square feet is permitted per
establishment with a ground-floor main entrance.An under-awning sign must be
securely fixed to the underside of the awning with metal attachments, may not project
beyond the awning, and may not be illuminated.
cl. A maximum of one porch sign is permitted per establishment per right-of-way frontage,
and is limited to 8 (eight) square feet in sign area.
e® A maximum of one all sign is permitted per establishment per right-of-way frontage,
and is limited to Oft®of the facade width and projection from wall is limited to 2(two)
feet.
f. No wall sign may extend above the window sills of the second story, unless the
establishment extends to the second story or above. No portion of a all sign may
extend above the roofline or parapet all, or, in the case of a wall sign attached to an
appurtenance,the highest point of the appurtenance.
g. Window signs that cover less than 10%of the window area®
Local Law o® 1 of 2026 Zoning Amendments 4
e Temporary suns which shall not be more than fifteen square feet in area and which are
displayed for 30 days or less.
is One freestanding sign that does not exceed eight( )feet in height and twenty-four(24)
square feet in size.
Section Amendment
Section 605 entitle "Hamlet Center Zane' shall be repealed and replaced as follows:
Section 5 HAMLET CENTER ZONE—The Hamlet Center Zone is intended to allow the
incremental in fill and extension of the Hamlet Core as a walkable, mixed-use, neighborhood
center where local business is supported and new development creates a sense of community.
Damay envisions its hamlet as a walkable,green, and community-cent6red landscape that
honors local heritage while supporting thriving social and ecological life.Through thoughtful
tree planting, integrated storrnwater design, and species diversity,the ordinance fosters
resilient,welcoming public realm and strong sense of place. an 's hamlet vision includes
continuous, healthy tree canopy to ensure shady, al a le and diverse and resilient
streetsca es, root zones free of utility and construction conflicts, and a landscape that features
green infrastructure to manage stor water at the source, protect water quality and
reduce the negative impacts of flooding.
® L T SIZE®There is no minimum lot size in the Hamlet Neighborhood Zone. (Note:some land
uses will require approval from the Tompkins County Whole Health Department for the
collection and treatment of water and wastewater,which may affect lot sizes)
2® PRINCIPAL USES PERMITTED BY RIGHT
In the HC a let Center, no building or structures all be erected, altered or extended, and no
land or building thereof shall e used for any purpose or purposes other than the following:
a® Residential use with ®4 dwelling units and custom.ry accessory structures
9 Retail use, provided the establishment does not exceed 2,000 gross square feet in
floor area,with the exception of basement storage areas,and provided that there is no
drive-through window and design guidelines are followed.
cm Agriculture.
m ACCESSORY USES PERMITTEDY RIGHT.
Such accessory uses as are customarily incidental to the above uses®
a® Accessory building for business®
b. Bed-and-breakfast establishments.
c® Family child care
. Family adult cares
ea Home occupations.
f. ®street loading areas.
g. Professional offices,where such office is part of residence and no more than five
Local Law No. I of 2026 Zoning Amendments 5
persons not residing one premises are employed.
4. PRINCIPAL USES PERMITTED ONLYSITE PLAN APPROVAL.
The following uses are allowed upon approval of a site plan by the Planning oar subject to
adopted designguidelines.
a. It care centers.
b. It group care.
c. Banks and other financial institutions, provided that there is no drive-through window.
d. Child-care centers, group child care.
e. Churches, mosques, synagogues,temples and other places of worship,convents,
rectories, parish houses.
. Clinics.
g. Community centers.
. Fire stations and other public buildings necessary for the protection or servicing of a
neighborhood.
L Clubhouse, hall, post,temple and other facilities associated with the activities of social
organizations,exce that the on-premises sale of alcoholic beverages is prohibited.
j. Funeral homes.
k. Gasoline and other retail vehicle fuel sales,subject to design guidelines and subject to
the requirement that no gasoline or other retail vehicle fuel sales business locate within
1 mile of any existing gasoline or other retail vehicle fuel sales business.
1. Inn.
m. Libraries, museums.
. Life-care facilities.
o. Multiple-unit esi til +units
p. Outdoor dining facilities,excluding any permanent structures within any require
setback areas.
. Places of amusement,such as theatres, including o lin alleys, game arcades, an
skating rinks.
r. Professional offices.
s. Public and private schools,nursery schools and institutions of higher education.
. Public and private community parks and preserves.
u. Residential care/assists living/rehabilitation facilities.
v. Restaurants, bars and other places for serving food and beverages, and providedthat
there is no drive-through window.
w. Repair Shop, Personal services, Cottage industry See; Section rovi to
establishment s not exceed ,0 ross square feet in floor area,with the exception
of basement storage areas
x. Retail use, provided the establishment does not exceed , ross square feet in floor
area,with the exception of basement storage areas, and providedthat there is no drive-
throughwindow.
.SET —
Local Law No. 1 of 2026 Zoning Amendments
a. Front YardMinimum 10ft measuredfrom edge of pavement
b.Side Yard feet
c. Rear Yard®0 feet
6. MULTIPLE PRINCIPAL USES AND BUILDINGS
Lots in the Hamlet Center Zone are allowed o have multiple buildings with a mix of allowed
principal uses.
. FORM AND ARCHITECTURE REQUIREMENTS,
II new buildings and uses that require Site Plan Review must comply with Appendix Its
Commercial & Hamlet Design Guidelines.There is no architectural design review for buildings
and uses that do not require Site PlanReview; however, compliance with these guidelines is
strongly encouraged for all developments, regardless of whether Site Plan Review is required,
o create buildings that are long-term assets to the hamlets.
LANDSCAPING8. IRE ` S,
a. All new buildings, or renovations of over 5 %of the building value; must have at least
tree for every 30 feet of road frontage.Trees installed o meet this requirement must be
1.5" DBH at the time of installation and must be maintained in good health. Planting is
exempt when existing above or below grade utilities prevent planting of trees,or if the
existing design of the street and uildin s will net accommodate tree planting.
Coordination with utility r vi ers in placing trees is advised.
b. Every effort should be made to retain existing healthy shade trees and greater
due to the benefits they provide. Any tree of " DBH or more that is removed ust be
replaced with trees(from the T'o n's suggested tree list)at a minimum o l%of the
removed . For example, removal of a " DBH tree would require replacement by a
minimum of five 2" DBH trees. Replacement trees can be installed on site or on publicly
owned or accessible park land in a location approved by the Planning Board.
c. If there are fewer than 8 required trees,they may all be the same non-invasive species.
if there are between 8 and4 required trees, no more than40 percent can be of one
non-Invasive species. If there are more than 24 required trees, no more than 24 percent
can be of one non-invasive species.
. SIGNS
In the ® a let Center Zone the following signs are permitted.
as Any sign required la
b. Official signs required by a governmental agency or utility, provided such sign does not
exceed 24 square feet in area,
c. A maximumof one under-awning sign of 4(four)square feet is permitted per
establishment wi a round-floor main entrance n under-awning sin must be
securely fixed o the underside of the awning itmetal attachments, a not project
beyond the awning,and may not be illuminated.
. maximum of one porch sign is permitted per establishment per right-of-way frontage,
Local Law No. I of 2026 ZoningAmendments 7
and is limited to 8(eight) square feet in sign area.
e. A maximumof one wall sign is permitted per establishment per right-of-way frontage,
and is limited t %of the facade i rjctio from all is limited (two)
feet.
all sin maye ove the window sills of the second stoM unless the
establishment extends to the second story or above. No portionall sin may
extend above the roofline or parapet wall, or, in the case of a wall sign ache o an
appurtenance,the highest point of the appurtenance.
Windowg. signs that cover less than 1 %of the window area.
. Temporary signs which shall not be more than fifteen square feet in area and which are
displayed for 30 days or less.
L One freestandingsign that does not exceed eightO feet in height and twenty-four( )
square feet in size.
SectionSection 3e.Amendment of
Section 705,entitled -Street Parking" shall be amended to add subsection 5 as follows:
Section 705 -STREET PARKING
5. PARKING IN THE HAMLET CENTER AND HAMLET NEIGHBORHOOD ZONES. Except as
specificallypermitted for residential parking as stated above, parking is not permitted between
the facade of a principal building and the street;all parking must be located to the side or
preferably a i principal buildings. For parcels with multipleprincipal buildings, parking lots
should be on the interior of the lot and should be buffered from a street by street-facing
buildings.To encourage the re-use of existing structures,which will promote the T 's goals of
preserving neighborhood character,protecting historic assets, and reducing viro tl
impacts of development,a change of use in an existing building uil before 2026 is exempt
from this requirement.
Section f.Amendment of Appendix
Appendix 1, entitled "Definitions" shall be amended by addingthe following in the appropriate
alphabetical locations of such section®
ACCESS T —A building,or structure, or partial use of a building or structure,
used to store, manage, process or transmit digital data for business uses, including computers,
network equipment,systems,servers,and other associated components related to the digital
data storage and operations that is secondary, subordinate and customarily incidental
located on the same lot as the principal use of a property. Such a use cannot dominate the
property or operate as an independent principal use.An accessory datacenter is one that will
use 500 kilowatt-hours(0.5 )of electricity or more per day.
DATA CENTER—An industrial use facility that is primarily used for the storage, management,
Local Law No. 1 of 2026 Zoning es
processing, and transmission of digital data,and which houses computer or network
equipment,systems, servers, appliances, and other associated components related to the
digital data storage and processing s a principal land use on a parcel. Equipment and
accessories customary to data centers including but not limited to air handlers, power
generators,water cooling and storage facilities, utility substations, and other associated utility
infrastructure shall also be considered part of a data center.
CRYPT CU E CY®A digitally generated currency secured in a manner making it difficult to
counterfeit or double spend,
CRYPTOCURRENCY DATA MINE®A specific type of data tenter using a facility or use of land,
buildings, or structures where computing equipment is used to solve complex mathematical
algorithms in connection with verifying and adding transactions to a blockchain or other
distributed ledger, commonly known as cryptocurrency mining. For purposes of this law, a
cryptocurrency data mining operation shall be considered a distinct land use, different from a
"data center" as defined in this section.
Section 3g.Amendmenti 11
Appendix 11,entitled "Commercial Design Guidelines"shall be repealed and replaced as follows.
APPENDIX II COMMERCIAL LET DESIGN GUIDELINES
Contents
1, Purpose and Objectives
2® Building Placement
3e Building Design
a) Massing
Materials
c}Windows
) Entrances
e)Screening of Equipmentand Refuse
f) Canopies
Exterior Building Lighting
4. Site Design
a) Parkin
Site Circulation
c) Landscaping
} Naturaleature
e)Site Lighting
5. Signage
6®Applicant Submission Information
a} Drawings,graphics,and narrative
7®Terminology
Local Law No. 1 of 2026 Zoning Amendments 9
1. PURPOSE 1CTI
The purpose of these guidelines is to provide greater direction and clarity for applicants,
citizens,town staff, Planning Board,and anyone involved in the Site Plan Review process.The
objective is to improve the design quality of new development projects that go through the Site
Plan Review process in the hamlets and alongthe Routes 34/96 and 96B corridors.-Compliance
with these guidelines is strongly encouraged for all developments, regardless r Site
Plan Review is required, create buildings that are long-term assets tot the town.
It is the To 's intent :
)foster attractive buildings and sites with thoughtful design and high-quality materials
foster designs that have continuity wit the design traditions of Upstate New York and
the Town of Danby.
c)foster the preservation and enhancement of significant views and characteristics of
the natural landscape including important topographic,watercourse and view features.
promote and enhance the interconnection of on-site pedestrian walkways with
existing or future off-site pedestrian ways.
e) encourage opportunities to allowpedestrian accessibility to areas with strong natural
features such as meadows,wooded areas,wetlands and watercourses, by the
attainment of public rights-of-way for public access.
promote e s ria connections et ee jacent commercial properties.
seek visual and design coordination on contiguous parcels which can be viewed from
public rights-of-way.
screen dumpsters, loading cks, and parking areas from the public right-of-way and
adjacent residential uses
. BUILDING PLACEMENT
-Local Law No. 1 of 2026 Zoning Amendments 1
Buildings should be placed on the site in
considered, contextual, relationships with
nearby buildings, especially in the Danby and e ,"Q
house
West Danby hamlets.Alignment of the front
facade with the traditional built forms of EWSUnghouse
hamlets and small villages in Upstate New York is
strongly encouraged along all road frontages. For Exwong house
as stations or convenience stores with fuel
saps,vehicle fuel sales areas (pump islands® �
canopies)should be to the side or rear of the
retail structure as illustrated in the graphic to the ivew,sdbu na Building
right. IN entrance
a) New"buildings should be sited as close to Gasca
the street as reasonably possible without P
infringing upon the right-of-way or n
further from the street than adjacent
Consistent
buildings. Front yards may be deeper to setback
accommodate amenities that improve
the hamlet (including courtyards,
gardens,greens, plazas, but not including parking lots or un®pro ra e lawn)with the
approval of the Planning Board.The Planning Boardill consider the impact on the form
f the Hamlet and the need for a stronger street wall in creating a public realm in their
review f deeper front yard setbacks.
b) Corner lots are required to have a building as close to the corner as practical,with the
principal entrance facing one or both streets;
) New buildings and any new lots should e designed so that uil in s fill a minimum
l of the lot width in the Hamlet Neighborhood Zone an 0%of the lot width in the
Hamlet Center Zone.
3e BUILDING DESIGN
Building design should take "
context into consideration
and drag on nearby
properties and the design
traditions of Upstate New1
York and the Town of Danby.
The Board and the Town
Planner will review the
proposed building(s)and
i
Local Law No. 1 of 2026nip Amendments11
site drawings and request esi ns that relate to the above referenced design traditions. Such
considerations shall include, but not be limited o,the following:
Massing. Buildings that are larger than the traditional scale of the Town of Danby, in
general larger than a footprint of 1,500square feet,should esi e s a series of
smaller masses or design components._New buildings may not have blank walls longer
than 15 feet facing any street between 3 feet and 8 feet above grade.
Materials.The Town has a preference for the use of traditional cladding patterns such
s clapboard,shingle, and board and batten.Stone,masonry block, brick, metal,and
modern stucco(EIS) may be appropriate in limited lictis.The use of split face
concrete masonry units is discouraged.
c)Windows.Walls facing the public road should have window area of at least 15%of the
facade.Windows should be real,functional (fixed or operable) clear glass windows with
clear views into the building or an internally lit display area.Windows for commercial
uses should be arranged and groupedbetween two feet and 10 feet above the finished
exterior grade.The use of simulated windows,spandrel glass, or reflective glass is
strongly iscoura .
)-Entrances. Building entrances should be clearly defined, in scale with the building
facade, relate to the public road and have weather cover.At larger commercial buildings,
the Board may request that individual commercial tenants have separate entrances.
"k
All principal buildings must .
include a principal entrance
„ 4 a
facing the street or, if on a side4
wall, located near the front of
the building and making use o
architectural elements,walks,
and landscaping that indicate a r
prominent pedestrian access
and providing a human scale
face to the building from the .
street.Alternatively,the ,q
planning board may grant a
waiver during Site Plan Review
for entrances facing a publicly
accessible green-space, plaza,or pedestrian path (conventional parking lots will not
be considered s an alternative). Generally, lots with multipleprincipal buildings should
have buildings along the street that provide street facing entries while other buildings
y face interior lot features as described above.
Local Law No. 1 of 2026 Zoning Amendments 1
Primary entrances must be architecturally detailed incorporating a porch,stoop, or
light ell for single-dwelling unit homes and porch, stoop, lightwell,canopy, awning or
marquis entries for all other principal buildings.
New multi-unit residential and non-residential buildings on lots larger than 10,000
square feet must include at least one entry facing the street for every 60 feet of
frontage. In the event that this is not possible due to lot size relative to building size,the
site design should include the possibility of future infill consistent with this standard.
e)Screening of Equipment and Refuses Rooftop equipment screening shall appear to be
integral with the building design. Parapet walls or sloped roof forms, integral to the
design of the building, are preferreda Other equipment located at grade, such as
compactors,clumpsters, HVAC equipment, electrical transformers ands itch ear,
propane tanks, and the like, located on site shall be screened from lic roads and
adjacent residential uses in a manner approved ythe Board. Screening materials and
design should be attractive and compatible with the building and overall landscape
designs.
f)Canopies. Drive
..y f
through or drive under .,
canopies,typically Po
associated with vehicle `
fuel sales (gas stations),
should draw on the
design traditions of
Upstate New York and the
Town of Oany. Canopies
should have a pitched ,.
roof. Canopy supports
should e visually
proportional to the bulk and mass of the roof structure.
) Exterior Building Lighting. Exterior building lighting should be similar in color to the
color of site lighting.All building ounte exterior light fixtures should be shorn on
building elevations®All building mounted lighting and site lighting should be shielded
from adjoining residential properties and public rights of way. Wall mounted lighting o
facades that are visible from public right of ways shall utilize lighting fixtures that light
down only® Fixtures that can cause night glare to off site locations should be avoided.
) New buildings must include either peaked roofs, architectural brackets supporting
flat roof or,an architectural cornice facing the street®
Local Law No. 1 of 2026 Zoning Amendments 13
.SITE DESIGN4
a) Parking. Parking areas
shall comply i
. Surface parking New retail building'
Pedestrian
should be located on the connections
(si eI
side or rear of the
pat h)
building. Parlang
)Site circulation.
• Vehicle circulation
and maneuvering
n site shout
4. Provide safe ingress and egress fro lic roads
Limit driveway width
'wide for two way traffic
'wide for one way traffic
46 Avoid unnecessary pedestrian/vehicle conflict points
• Pedestrian circulation should:
• Include clear walkways through parkingareas
• include paved, hard surfaced, sidewalks or pads near the main entrance
and along the building
• Include connections to existingor future public or semi-public trails or
sidewalks.
c) Landscaping. Landscaping should enhance the site and screen undesirable features
from view. Landscaping should be used to enhancete principal building, but not screen
i .The expectation is the new buildingill be an attractive addition to the community,
not something si l in need of screening. Constructed berms are not appropriate i
all areas and should be considered carefully.Where bermsure proposed,they shout
avoid n unnatural and contrived appearance. Drainage ponds and s ales should have
natural forms and avoid straight edges. Formal plantings of uprighttrees that draw
traditional orchard plantings, are encouraged in certain applications, such as parking
screening to road frontages. Fencing and landscaping lls should draw
design r i ions of Upstate New York and the Town of Danby. Except for areas needing
to be secured or areas far back from a public road, chain link fencing is generally
discouraged.
Natural Features. Important natural characteristics or site features should e
preserved and enhanced. Important features may include, are not limited o trees
Local Law No. 1 of 2026 Zonings 1
and vegetation,topography,watercourses and views.
e)Site Lighting. Site and parking lot light poles should not exceed 18 feet above
surrounding rade. Light fixtures should be shielded to direct light downward and
contained within the site. Light glare should not extend beyondthe property line.
. SIGNAGE ;
a)Si na e shall comply with the relevant sections
of the Zoning a
b} Ground mountedsigns should e limited to no
taller than six feet above finished grade,Taller
pole mounted signs may be appropriate if they
are externally lit with spotlights and not internally
lit.
PY
c) Building mounted cabinet or box signs are
discouraged. Channel letter, halo lit letters, or
externally lit(spotlight or"gooseneck" lighting)
s! na a is encouraged.
d) Digital signs with changing,flashing, or movable text or graphics are strongly
discouraged except in very limited circumstances,suchas price signs for vehicle fuel
sales as stations). le ronic Message Centers are prohibited (LL#2 o ).
6.APPLICANT SUBMISSION INFORMATION
In addition to the standard information required for the Site PlanReview process in Sections
801 through ,the Planning Board expects that the following ill be provided for its review
and consideration.
a) Drawings,graphics, and narrative text demonstrating how the proposed project
follows these ui elines nclu in
• instrument survey map of the property
• first floor ...Ian showing locations of doors and windows
• building elevations with materials identified and window area calculations
complete (per#3c above)
• general site plan
• utility plan showing electrical,"water,sewer connections, location of well and
septic, solar or wind energy installations,general drainage
Local Law No. 1 of 2026 ZoningAmendments 15
a landscaping plan with materials identified.
The Board may request a site profile incorporating a key building profile, an additional 3-D
rendition,or even a mass model, if necessary,to fully understand the three-dimensional
characteristics of proposed buildings.
'Ili'ek}�'gel'}�it�.#$'S'�,'<k�`v�rift 'ij2���J J� '��'�k�b ,GJF
7.TERMINOLOGY
For the purposes of this Appendix,the following shall serve to clarify the meaning of special
terminology included in this text:
Design tradition: Upstate New York,the Finger Lakes and Southern Tier Regions, and the Town
of Danby have a traditional it for constructed between approximately 1790 and 1950.
Structures built between 1790 and
1950 were built at a human scale
and exhibit a traditional
relationship to the land,to public
roads, and to each other.These
structures used traditional
materials such as wood,stone,
and brick. Less frequently,
particularly in rural areas,these
structures used cast iron,
cementitious stucco and
corrugated metal.
Local Law No. I of 2026 Zoning Amendments 16
Structures built after 1950 were often oriented o vehicles and built at a vehicular scale and
used standardized national or international design models and modern or ersatz materials,
forms, and finishes.
Newly constructed buildings can draw on the design traditio s from the 1790 to 1950 period
while utilizing p ro rie currently available materials and contemporary design.
Section .Severability
If any provision of this law is deemed invalid by a court of competent jurisdiction,such invalidity
shall not affect the remaining provisions,which shall remain in full force and effect.
Sectionc iv t
This local law shall take effect immediately.
Local Law No. 1 of 2026 Zoning Amendments 17
ZoningTown of Danby
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Aquifer High Vulnerability Overlaytr
® Habitat Corridor Overlay
Perenial Streams 100ft Buffer Overlay
Intermitent Streams 50Ft Buffer Overlays .
Commercial C
Commercial
Existing In vlont
Hamlet Center
Hamlet Neighborhood
a Low Density Residential
r1
Adopted by the Town Board on April 7,2026
Ural1 Resolution No.128 of 2026
High Priority Preservation