HomeMy WebLinkAboutRe-Zoning BrochureTown of Ithaca
Re -Zoning
Process
Zoning is the basic means of land use regulation. It ensures that land is used in a manner which best serves the health, safety, and welfare of the entire community.
This brochure will help you under-stand how zoning works and the steps needed to zone or re-zone a property. If you or your agent have any questions regarding the re-zoning process, please feel free to call a member of the Town planning staff at (607) 273-1747.
In this brochure...
What is Zoning?
What is my property zoned?
How do I apply for a rezoning?
How long does the process take?
The Town of Ithaca Town
Board meets the second
Monday of every month
in the
Town Board Room,
215 North Tioga Street
Ithaca, NY 14850
(607) 273-1747
(607)273-1704 fax
www.town.ithaca.ny.us
Town of Ithaca Zoning Map
Zoning can…
Assist in the safe, orderly, healthful
and coordinated development of the
Town.
Conserve existing and future neigh-
borhoods.
Protect and conserve the value of real
property throughout the community.
Conserve, develop, and protect natu-
ral resources to enhance the preserva-
tion of the environment.
Encourage high quality development
and innovative design.
Provide convenient, safe, and efficient
circulation of vehicular and pedestri-
an traffic.
Facilitate the adequate and efficient
provision of transportation, water,
wastewater, schools, parks and recre-
ational facilities, and other public re-
quirements.
The timing on a rezoning process de-
pends on a lot of factors. Often, a rezon-
ing will require Planning Committee re-
view (a Committee of the Town Board)
and Planning Board approval, along with
Town Board approval. The timing will
also depend on the complexity of the pro-
ject, Board or Committee agenda availa-
bility, and completeness of submittals.
How long does the
rezoning process take?
Steps in the Process
Set up a pre-application meeting with the
Zoning Officer and/or a member of the Plan-
ning Department.
Present a plan and description of the proposal
to the Town Board.
The Town Board will briefly discuss the
proposal and refer the matter to the Plan-
ning Committee* for review and recommen-
dation.
The Planning Committee will send recom-
mendations and any suggested modifica-
tions back to the Town Board for considera-
tion. Note: The process for rezoning a property
to a Planned Development Zone (PDZ) may in-
volve multiple meetings with the Planning Com-
mittee before going back to the Town Board.
The Town Board will send the project on to
the Planning Board for site plan or subdivi-
sion review, environmental review, and rec-
ommendation back to the Town Board.
The Town Board will set and holds public
hearings on the rezoning and will consider
adoption and approval.
How do I apply for a zoning change?
Contact the Town Zoning Officer (273-
1783) or a member of the Planning De-
partment (273-1747) and set up a pre-
application meeting. Town staff will
provide you with any necessary appli-
cation forms and will guide you
through the rezoning process.
How difficult is it to change my zon-
ing? The rezoning process entails Plan-
ning Committee discussions and rec-
ommendations, Planning Board recom-
mendations, and Town Board approv-
als. Before applying for a rezoning,
please contact the Town Zoning Officer
or a member of the Planning Depart-
ment to see if your request is con-
sistent with the Town’s Future Land
Use Map and Comprehensive Plan. If it
is inconsistent, it is likely that the
Town will not approve the request un-
less the Future Land Use Map is
amended.
Is approval guaranteed? Unfortu-
nately, no. Zoning is a public process
that invites input from any interested
party. Adjacent property owners or
tenants may object to the proposed re-
zoning. Therefore, land acquisition,
based on the hope of rezoning a prop-
erty in the future, carries some risk.
What is my property zoned? You can
find that out by searching the Town’s
Zoning Code and Zoning Map, which
can be found on our website at:
www.town.ithaca.ny.us
Zoning districts
LR- Lakefront Residential
LDR– Low Density Residential
MDR– Medium Density Residential
HDR– High Density Residential
MHP– Mobile Home Park
MR– Multiple Residence
VFR– Vehicle Fuel & Repair
OPC- Office Park Commercial
NC– Neighborhood Commercial
CC – Community Commercial
LC– Lakefront Commercial
A– Agricultural
C– Conservation
PDZ– Planned Development Zone
LI– Light Industrial
I– Industrial
The Town’s Zoning Code can be found at:
www.town.ithaca.ny.us or
http://ecode360.com/IT1944
If you need more information about the
Zoning Code or Map, please contact the
Zoning Officer at (607) 273-1783 or the
Planning Department at (607) 273-1747.
* The Planning Committee is a sub-committee of
the Town Board