All special permit uses cited in §
260-14, the Schedule of Use Regulations, or any other section of this chapter shall be subject to review and approval by the Planning Board in accordance with the standards and procedures included herein. In all cases where this chapter requires such special use permit authorization by the Planning Board, no building permit or certificate of occupancy or use shall be issued by the Zoning Enforcement Officer except upon authorization of and in full conformance with plans approved by the Planning Board.
In authorizing any special permit use, the Planning Board shall take into consideration the public health, safety, and general welfare and the comfort and convenience of the public in general and that of the immediate neighborhood in particular. The Planning Board shall also take into strict account the specific conditions set forth in this article for certain uses, applicable supplementary regulations stated in Article
V of this chapter, and the following general objectives for any use requiring Planning Board authorization:
A. The location and size of the use, the nature and intensity
of the operations involved, the size of the site in relation to the
use, and the location of the site with respect to existing and future
streets providing access shall be in harmony with the orderly development
of the district.
B. The location, nature and height of the buildings,
walls and fences, and the nature and intensity of intended operations,
should not discourage the appropriate development and use of adjacent
land and buildings or impair the value thereof.
C. All proposed traffic accessways shall be adequate
but not excessive in number; adequate in width, grade, alignment and
visibility; sufficiently separated from street intersections or other
places of public assembly; and meet similar safety considerations.
D. Adequate provision for safe and accessible off-street
parking and loading spaces shall be made.
E. All parking and service areas shall be screened at
all seasons of the year from the view of adjacent residential lots
and streets, and the general landscaping of the site shall be in character
with that generally prevailing in the neighborhood. Such landscaping
shall include the preservation of existing trees, particularly those
over eight inches in diameter, to the maximum extent possible.
F. All proposed buildings, structures, equipment and/or
material shall be readily accessible for fire and police protection.
G. The character and appearance of the proposed use,
buildings, structures and/or outdoor signs shall be in general harmony
with the character and appearance of the surrounding neighborhood,
shall not be more objectionable to nearby properties by reason of
noise, fumes, vibration, or flashing lights than would the operations
of any permitted use and shall not adversely affect the general welfare
of the inhabitants of the Town of Woodstock. The days and hours of
operation may be limited by the Planning Board to minimize disturbance
to neighbors.
H. The Planning Board may issue a special use permit
for a limited period of time and may place specific conditions for
its renewal thereafter. The investment of an applicant shall have
no bearing on the issuance or renewal of a special use permit.
I. Where required in §
260-63 of this chapter, or wherever the Planning Board deems it appropriate for a special permit use, the following standards shall apply to all districts:
(1) Driveways shall be so located and, where possible,
relocated as to minimize the impact of vehicular traffic on neighboring
properties.
(2) All activities employing amplified sound shall take
place fully within the structure or structures.
(3) Structures shall be designed to contain sound fully
within the structure. This may require the installation of sound damping
material and/or central air conditioning to permit the closing of
windows in hot weather.
J. Where required in §
260-63 of this chapter, or wherever the Planning Board deems it appropriate for a special permit use, the following standards shall apply to the R8, R5, R3, R1.5 and PRD Districts:
(1) No building shall be erected closer than 100 feet
to any street or lot line.
(2) No parking area shall be closer than 150 feet to any
street or lot line. Where space permits, larger setbacks are encouraged
to maximize the buffer to neighboring properties.
K. The Planning Board may require all proposed elementary, middle and
high schools to adhere to standards described in the 2006 edition
or later editions of Planning and Urban Design Standards, John Wiley
& Sons.
[Added 6-17-2014 by L.L. No. 1-2014]
L. Additional standards. The Planning Board may establish
any additional standards appropriate to any special use permit in
this article.
In addition to the general standards set forth in §
260-62 above and the site plan review considerations set forth in §
260-77 of this chapter, the following specific standards shall be complied with for the particular special permit uses cited below.
A. Mining and excavation, including the loading, hauling
and/or processing of sand, gravel, soil, shale, topsoil, stone, or
any aggregate material native to the site, in excess of 300 cubic
yards or a disturbed area greater than 1/2 acre, provided that
(1) All applicable provisions of the New York State Mined
Land Reclamation Law and other state and federal regulations shall be fully
complied with;
(2) A time schedule for completion of either the entire
operation or, if excavation is to occur in stages, of each stage of
the operation shall be submitted for approval; no renewal of the special
use permit shall be granted until the permit holder shall have complied
with all provisions of the reclamation plan;
(3) An operations plan, including the number and type
of trucks and other machinery to be used on the site, including their
respective noise levels, shall be submitted for approval;
(4) A progressive restoration and rehabilitation plan
showing both existing contours and proposed final contours after operations
are completed shall be submitted for approval; such restoration and
rehabilitation plan shall include sowing and planting and proper vegetation
so as to prevent erosion, unsightliness and noisome impact on neighboring
properties, groundwater resources and aquifers;
(5) A performance guarantee (performance bond or escrow
deposit) to assure rehabilitation shall be provided, upon recommendation
of the Planning Board, in an amount and form satisfactory to the Town
Board;
(6) A buffer area shall be established of not less than
100 feet between the operation and the nearest property line, and
not less than 100 feet from the nearest road; for extraction operations
in creek or stream beds which fall within what otherwise would be
the buffer area, the Planning Board may reduce the buffer;
(7) Such special use permit, including renewals, shall
be restricted to a disturbed area not to exceed five acres and to
a time period not to exceed six years in total, at which time all
reclamation activities shall have been completed; and
(8) The number of mines in any area shall be limited to
one mine per geologic deposit or soil section as defined by the appropriate
map contained in the Soil Survey of Ulster County issued by the United
States Department of Agriculture in cooperation with the Cornell University
Agricultural Experiment Station. The total amount of land to be disturbed
within any one geologic deposit shall be not greater than five acres
at any one time.
B. Motor vehicle service station or gasoline station,
provided that:
(1) The minimum lot area shall be 30,000 square feet and
the minimum lot frontage shall be 200 feet;
(2) No building shall be erected closer than 20 feet to
any street or lot line;
(3) Entrance and exit driveways shall have an unrestricted
width of not less than 18 feet nor more than 30 feet, nor shall they
be located closer than 10 feet to any side or rear lot line;
(4) No entrance or exit driveway or parking space shall
be so located as to require the backing of any vehicle into a public
right-of-way;
(5) No access drive shall be within 200 feet of and on
the same side of the street as a school, public library, theater,
church or place of worship, or other public gathering place, park,
playground or fire station designed for occupancy by more than 50
persons, unless a street not less than 50 feet in width lies between
such service station and such building or use;
(6) Gasoline or flammable oils in bulk shall be stored
fully underground, in accordance with New York State Department of
Environmental Conservation (DEC) Part 614 Regulations, and shall not
be located closer than 10 feet to any street line or 35 feet to any
lot line; and
(7) No gasoline pump shall be located closer than 25 feet
to any property line.
C. Summer or vacation colony, including cabins and cottages
available for rent during the nonwinter months, provided that:
(1) Minimum lot area shall be 10 acres;
(2) Such cabins or cottages shall be designed for one
family only, with not more than three such dwelling units permitted
per gross acre;
(3) Central water supply and/or common sewage disposal
facilities may be required by the Planning Board and, if so, shall
be provided in accordance with the requirements of the Town of Woodstock
and the Ulster County Health Department; and
(4) A building or recreational facility shall not be located
less than 100 feet from any lot line and shall be effectively screened
from adjacent properties.
D. Camp, provided that:
(1) Minimum lot area shall be 20 acres;
(2) No tent, activity area or recreational facility shall
be closer than 200 feet to any lot line;
(3) There shall be not more than three tents or cottages
per gross acre; and
(4) Central water supply and/or common sewage disposal
facilities may be required by the Planning Board and, if so, shall
be provided in accordance with the requirements of the Town of Woodstock
and the Ulster County Health Department.
E. Day camp, provided that:
(1) Minimum lot area shall be five acres;
(2) No activity area or recreational facility shall be
closer than 100 feet to any residential property boundary;
(3) There shall be not more than eight day campers accommodated
per acre of available land area; and
(4) Water supply and sewage disposal facilities shall
satisfy all applicable requirements of the Ulster County Health Department
and, to the extent applicable, the water, wastewater and sewer districts
within the Town of Woodstock.
F. Membership club providing private social and recreational
facilities, including swimming facilities, and hunting or fishing
club, with accessory buildings for administration, operation and clubhouse
purposes, provided that:
(1) Minimum lot area shall be the minimum lot area as
noted for the area and bulk regulations for the district in which
the club is located;
(2) Plans for all public address systems and lighting
for outdoor recreational facilities shall be submitted to and approved
by the Planning Board; and
(3) Where it is determined that the club may cause a disturbance to neighboring residential properties, the Planning Board may require the standards described in §
260-62I and
J of this chapter.
G. Cemetery and human crematory, provided that:
(1) No burial or memorial plats or buildings shall be
located closer than 50 feet to any residential lot line, except that,
when a dense evergreen hedge or wall or landscaped strip not less
than six feet in height providing complete visual screening from all
adjacent residential property is provided, burial or memorial plots
of fewer than six in number may be located as close as 20 feet to
any residential lot line; and
(2) All burials shall be undertaken in strict accordance
with applicable regulations of the New York State Department of State
and the New York State Department of Health.
H. Hospital and sanitarium for general medical care and
nursing home, provided that:
(1) Minimum lot area shall be three acres; and
(2) Maximum structure coverage shall not exceed 15% of
lot area.
I. Public, denominational or private school, including
playgrounds and accessory uses required for their operation, provided
that:
(1) No building shall be erected closer than 50 feet to
any street or lot line;
(2) Maximum structure coverage shall not exceed 15% of
lot area;
(3) No open space recreation use or facility shall occur
within 50 feet of a residential property boundary; and
(4) Activities shall be limited to the regularly scheduled classes and recreational activities of the school, unless the standards described in §
260-62I and
J of this chapter are fully complied with.
J. Cultural facility (library, art gallery, museum, etc.),
provided that:
(1) No building or parking area shall be erected closer
than 50 feet to any street or lot line in the R8, R5, R3, R1.5 and
PRD Districts;
(2) Maximum structure coverage shall not exceed the allowed
maximum in the district; and
(3) No public assembly activities or activities which produce noise audible on neighboring properties shall be permitted, unless the standards described in §
260-62I and
J of this chapter are fully complied with.
K. Commercial logging, provided that:
(1) All parcels of five or more acres of forest vegetation,
whether on one lot or on two or more contiguous lots to be harvested,
shall be subject to a special use permit under these provisions.
(2) A forest management plan shall be submitted prior
to the beginning of any clearing or cutting. This plan shall include
information pertaining to the following:
(a)
Land area of parcel to be logged;
(b)
Location of land area on tax maps;
(c)
Approximate existing number of trees;
(d)
Approximate number of trees to be harvested;
(e)
Impact on all streams and waterways on the parcel;
(f)
Site-specific measures for the prevention of
erosion and preservation of wildlife habitats;
(g)
Measures for the preservation of aesthetic values
of the land;
(h)
Maintenance and/or repair of roads, loading
areas and access paths;
(i)
Establishment of buffer zones to mitigate visual impact to roads,
nearby elevations and neighboring parcels, and to protect watercourses
and wetlands;
[Amended 7-3-2013 by L.L. No. 1-2013]
(j)
Cleanup and reclamation plans;
(k)
Locations of major skid roads and landing areas;
and
(l)
A time schedule for all of the above activities.
(3) The Planning Board may engage a forestry consultant
to examine the commercial logging proposal.
(4) The Planning Board shall receive and approve a signed
contract between the logger and property owner or owners.
(5) The Planning Board shall require a performance bond
or equivalent security to ensure proper cleanup and implementation
of the forest management plan. In the case of a bond, the Town of
Woodstock shall be named as an additional beneficiary insured. In
the case of a security, the Town of Woodstock shall be named as a
holder of the security.
(6) All New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
(DEC) regulations shall be strictly adhered to by the special use
permit holder, and all required stream bank disturbance permits shall
be secured and in effect before the commencement of logging.
(7) An appropriate buffer of trees shall be maintained
contiguous to any neighboring lot line or road.
(8) No operations shall take place between 7:00 p.m. and
7:00 a.m.
(9) Clear-cutting is prohibited in the Scenic Overlay (S-O) District
and within wetlands, watercourses and their associated buffers.
[Amended 7-3-2013 by L.L. No. 1-2013]
(10) Excluded from special use permit shall be the harvesting
of Christmas trees; the clearing of land for rights-of-way for utilities;
reasonable site clearing preparatory to construction of a building
for which a building permit has been issued; the clearing and maintenance
of land for agricultural purposes; and the harvesting of trees and
firewood for the personal use of the property owner not to exceed
20 cords per year.
L. Contractor's yard, provided that:
(1) The size of the contractor's yard shall be limited
to one acre, including any structures relating to the contractor's
yard;
(2) The owner and operator of the contractor's yard shall
reside on the lot upon which the contractor's yard is located or upon
an adjoining lot;
(3) There shall be no commercial sale of equipment, parts,
sand, gravel, pipe, aggregate, or any other building supplies, with
the exception of building materials and supplies transported by the
owner or an employee of the contractor's yard and delivered to a customer
as part of his or her contracting business;
(4) Materials used in association with the contractor's
yard may be temporarily stored within the yard and only within the
yard;
(5) No rental of equipment shall occur from the contractor's
yard or from the lot on which the contractor's yard is situated or
from an adjoining lot; and
(6) The contractor's yard may be required to be screened.
The screening preference shall be dense natural screening or compact
evergreen screening with a recommended minimum height of six feet
when planted or fencing, the type and height to be determined by the
Planning Board.
M. Hotel or motel development, provided that:
(1) Minimum residential lot area shown in §
260-16, the Schedule of Area and Bulk Regulations, for the zoning district in which the hotel or motel is proposed to be located shall be increased by 1,500 square feet for each guest room provided.
(2) Minimum side and rear yard setback requirements shall
be 100 feet if such yard abuts property in a residential district
(R8, R5, R3, R1.5, HR or PRD).
(3) Minimum front, side and rear yard setback requirements for off-street parking areas stated in §
260-30B(2) shall be increased to 150 feet if such yard abuts property in a residential district (R8, R5, R3, R1.5, HR or PRD).
(4) Accessory uses to a hotel or motel development shall
be limited to the following:
(a)
Conference, banquet or seminar rooms to accommodate
a total of not more than 125 persons;
(c)
Swimming pool and racquet courts;
(d)
Small personal service/retail shops fully within
the hotel or motel facility and selling newspapers, magazines, tobacco,
small gifts and similar items; and
(e)
The hotel or motel service and maintenance facilities.
(5) Each of the accessory uses, except those referenced in Subsection
M(4)(a) above, shall be designed and provided for the exclusive use of those who are lodged at the hotel or motel development, except where the accessory use would be a permitted use or a special permit use within the zoning district in which the hotel or motel development is proposed, in which case all requirements from all sections of this chapter for such use or uses must be met.
(6) Maximum structure coverage, including all principal
and accessory structures, shall not exceed 15% of lot area.
(7) There shall be not more than 40 guest rooms.
N. Multifamily dwelling created either through new construction
or by conversion of a one- or two-family residence or other structure
in existence at the time of adoption of this chapter, provided that
(1) The number of dwelling units allowed on a lot shall
be calculated as follows:
[Amended 7-3-2013 by L.L. No. 1-2013]
(a)
For lots in the R5, R3 and NC Districts, and for lots in the R1.5, HR and HC Districts without both Town-provided central water and Town-provided common sewer, the minimum lot area per dwelling unit requirement, as provided in §
260-16, the Schedule of Area and Bulk Regulations, column a of Attachment 2 of this chapter, shall apply for the first two units in a multifamily structure. In a two-story structure, each additional dwelling unit shall require 25% of the per-dwelling-unit density. In a single-story structure, each additional dwelling unit shall require 50% of the per-dwelling-unit density.
(b)
For lots with both Town-provided central water and Town-provided
common sewer, in the R1.5, HR and HC Districts, four units may be
built on a lot meeting the minimum lot area per dwelling unit requirement,
provided that all other requirements of this chapter and other applicable
laws, rules and regulations are strictly met. For each additional
unit after the first four, the requirement shall be 25% of the per-dwelling-unit
density.
(2) No individual multifamily structure shall contain
more than eight residential units in the case of two-story apartment
buildings, with four units allowed in each floor, nor more than six
units in the case of a single-story multifamily structure.
(3) Adequate common water supply and common sewage disposal
facilities shall be provided in full accordance with the requirements
of the Town of Woodstock and the Ulster County Health Department.
(4) Common open space totaling not less than 50% in the
R5 and R3 Districts and not less than 25% in the R1.5, HR, HC and
NC Districts of the total multifamily development site shall be provided
in perpetuity for the use and beneficial enjoyment of all residents
within the multifamily development.
(5) A deeded conservation easement or similar mechanism
for the long-term ownership and maintenance of common open space shall
be provided, subject to the approval of the Planning Board during
the special use permit review process.
(6) The minimum front, rear and side yards required by §
260-16, the Schedule of Area and Bulk Regulations, for the zoning district in which the development is proposed shall be doubled, that is, increased by 100%, in the R5 and R3 Districts to establish the minimum front, rear and side yards required for the development.
(7) The Zoning Enforcement Officer shall inspect all the
rental dwelling units every three years to ensure that they have been
maintained in habitable condition and that there are no violations
of this chapter or any other applicable rules and regulations related
to multifamily dwelling units.
O. Class B home occupation conducted either outside or
wholly or in part in an accessory building on the residential premises,
provided that:
(1) While vehicles required to conduct the home occupation may be parked on the premises, such shall occur in accordance with the provisions of §
260-30A(3)(a) of this chapter.
(2) Materials and equipment used in connection with the
home occupation may be required to be screened from public rights-of-way
and neighboring properties and stored in such a way that they do not
pose a nuisance to adjacent property owners and shall not be less
than 50 feet from any property boundary, with no such storage permitted
in the required front yard. Where required, the screening shall consist
of a dense natural screen or other barrier so designed as to form
an effective visual screen from the adjoining property.
(3) No retail or wholesale sales shall take place in any
Class B home occupation.
(4) No general or professional office shall be permitted
as a Class B home occupation.
The Planning Board shall review and act on all
special permit uses in accordance with the procedure specified herein.
A. Application and fee. All applications made to the
Planning Board shall be in writing, on forms prescribed by said Board,
and shall be accompanied by the following:
(1) A sketch site plan as otherwise required in §
260-75 of this chapter;
(2) A list of all contiguous landowners;
(3) Such additional information as is required for certain uses under §
260-63 above; and
(4) Payment of the applicable fee in accordance with the
fee schedule established and annually reviewed by the Town Board.
B. Public notice and hearing.
(1) The Planning Board shall fix a time and place for
a public hearing on any such special use permit application and shall
provide public notice which shall appear at least five days prior
to the public hearing in the official newspaper or newspapers of the
Town, as designated by the Town Board. A copy of said public notice
shall be mailed by the Planning Board to the applicant, the Ulster
County Planning Board and all contiguous property owners at least
10 days before the opening of the public hearing.
(2) A public hearing on an application for special use
permit shall be scheduled and conducted by the Planning Board within
62 days of the date of the Planning Board meeting at which, pursuant
to SEQRA, a negative declaration has been adopted or a draft environmental
impact statement (DEIS) has been accepted as being sufficient to commence
the public comment period.
C. Decisions. Within 62 days of the date of completion
of the hearing, the Planning Board shall approve, disapprove or approve
with modifications the special use permit application and shall specify
what modifications, if any, are necessary.
D. When an application for a special use permit involves
property that is within 500 feet of an adjacent municipality, as defined
in § 239-nn of the General Municipal Law, the Planning Board
shall give notice to the adjacent municipality by mail or electronic
transmission to the clerk of the adjacent municipality at least 10
days prior to any hearing.
A use authorized by special use permit may be
revoked by the Planning Board if it is found and determined after
notice and a public hearing, held in a manner as provided for by law,
that there has been a failure to comply with any of the terms, conditions,
or requirements imposed by said special use permit.
Any person or persons jointly or severally aggrieved
by any decision of the Planning Board under this article may apply
to the Supreme Court of the State of New York for relief through a
proceeding under Article 78 of the Civil Practice Law and Rules (CPLR)
of the State of New York. Such proceeding shall be governed by the
specific provisions of Article 78, except that the action must be
initiated as provided therein within 30 days after the filing of the
Planning Board's decision in the office of the Town Clerk.