For the purposes of this chapter, the Town of Woodstock is hereby divided into the following categories of zoning districts:
R8
Residential District
R5
Residential District
R3
Residential District
R1.5
Residential District
HR
Hamlet Residential District
HC
Hamlet Commercial District
NC1 and 2
Neighborhood Commercial Districts
LI and SLI
Light Industrial District and Special Light Industrial District
FW
Floodway District
PRD
Planned Residential Development District
[Amended 12-13-2022 by L.L. No. 6-2022]
The following categories of overlay districts are also hereby created:
FF-O
Flood-Fringe Overlay District
S-O
Scenic Overlay District
HP-O
Hamlet Preservation Overlay District
G-O
Gateway Overlay District
WDWP-O
Water District Wellhead Protection Overlap District
The 10 zoning districts are generally described as follows:
A. 
The Residential (R8) District generally is located in areas most environmentally sensitive and on which it is recommended that building be kept to a minimum. Much of the district occurs at visually significant locations within the Town, such as the mountain faces and peaks and the Catskill escarpment. This district may be referred to on some maps as the "Land Conservation (LC) District."
B. 
The Residential (R5) District is a very low-density residential district. The land within the R5 District includes those areas identified as "ecologically most sensitive" by the Town's Open Spaces Plan and other lands which by their drainage, topography or rural and aesthetic values should have low-density residential growth.
C. 
The Residential (R3) District is a low-density residential district. Land within the R3 District is generally at a slope of 10% to 15% and includes those areas identified as "ecologically sensitive areas" by the Town's Open Spaces Plan.
D. 
The Residential (R1.5) District is a moderate-density residential district. The R1.5 District occurs outside the hamlets and protected open space areas. Where central water and/or common sewer is provided, an increase in permitted density may occur.
E. 
The Hamlet Residential (HR) District is a higher-density residential district in more developable areas near established residential development. Where central water and/or common sewer is provided, an increase in permitted density may occur.
F. 
The Hamlet Commercial (HC) District is an area where both central water and common sewer are provided. This district permits commercial, residential and civic/institutional uses to coexist at a moderate density and with adequate public services. This district may be referred to on some maps as the "Hamlet (H) Commercial District."
G. 
The Neighborhood Commercial (NC1 and NC2) Districts permit retail and service establishments to satisfy the daily consumer needs of nearby residential areas.
(1) 
The NC1 Districts are located at the intersections of Zena Road and Sawkill Road (Zena); Route 212 and Van Wagner Road (Willow); Glenford/Wittenberg Road and Wittenberg/Bearsville Road (Wittenberg); and Route 212 and Mink Hollow Road (Lake Hill). Restaurants serving alcoholic beverages shall not be permitted in the NC1 Districts.
(2) 
The NC2 Districts are located at the intersections of Route 28 and Zena Road (Zena) and Route 212 and Wittenberg Road (Bearsville).
H. 
Light Industrial Districts.
(1) 
The Light Industrial (LI) District permits research, heavy commercial, manufacturing, and wholesale activities to occur under strict performance standards.
(2) 
The metes and bounds of the Special Light Industrial (SLI) District are described in Appendix A of this chapter.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: Appendix A is included at the end of this chapter.
I. 
The Floodway (FW) District has been designated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). No development is permitted within the floodway, which is defined as the channel of a river or other watercourse and the adjacent land areas required to carry and discharge a flood of given magnitude.
J. 
The Planned Residential Development (PRD) District provides a flexible land use and design regulation through the use of performance criteria to encourage the development by either the private or public sector of low- and moderate-income and senior citizens' housing in the Town, in accordance with the procedure specified in Article VIII of this chapter.
[Amended 12-13-2022 by L.L. No. 6-2022; 12-9-2025 by L.L. No. 3-2025]
The four overlay districts are generally described as follows:
A. 
The Flood-Fringe Overlay (FF-O) District has been designated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) as a floodplain area with special flood hazards that is likely to be flooded at least once every 100 years. The FF-O District may include other lands, designated by the Town Board, which experience periodic flooding. All development within the FF-O District is subject to special standards as provided in Article V of this chapter.
B. 
The Scenic Overlay (S-O) District is established to protect the scenic mountainous character of the Town of Woodstock and requires special permit review of all development within the Scenic Overlay, including all properties located at an elevation greater than 1,200 feet above sea level, as delineated on United States Geological Survey (USGS) maps, to mitigate the visual impact of such development to the extent practicable and also to protect the environmentally sensitive lands in the Scenic Overlay.
C. 
The Hamlet Preservation Overlay (HP-O) District is a district which includes all parcels contiguous to Route 212 beginning at the eastern entranceway to Woodstock at Chestnut Hill Road and Route 212 and continuing to the westernmost outlet of Orchard Lane and Route 212. Roads and lanes feeding into Route 212 along the length of the Hamlet Preservation Overlay District shall also be included in the district for a distance of 200 feet from their intersections with Route 212.
D. 
The Gateway Overlay (G-O) District is a district located at the eastern entrance of Woodstock created for the purpose of protecting the aesthetic and historic qualities of the district while promoting the development of cultural facilities in the district to benefit the residents of Woodstock. The boundaries of the district are defined in § 260-67H of this chapter.
E. 
The Water District Wellhead Protection Overlay (WDWP-O) District is an area located within the hamlets of Bearsville to Woodstock that contains the aquifer area contributing ground water to the Town of Woodstock's existing public supply wells (the wellhead protection area) as well as potentially productive aquifer areas that could practicably serve as future public drinking water source(s) for the Woodstock Water District.
In 1994 the hydrogeological consulting firm of Horsley & Witten, Inc. (now known as Horsley Witten Group) delineated the Woodstock Water District's Wellhead Protection Area. This is the area that is thought to directly contribute ground water to the District's production wells. The boundaries of the Water District Wellhead Protection Overlay (WDWP-O) District include the outer boundaries of all parcels that lie within or touch the Wellhead Protection Area defined by Horsley & Witten, Inc. in their study. A copy of this study shall be maintained in the office of the Town Clerk for public review.
The boundaries of the Water District Wellhead Protection Overlay (WDWP-O) District also include the outer boundaries of aquifer parcels that were defined by the New York Rural Water Association (NYRWA) as having the potential to serve as future ground water supply areas for the Woodstock Water District. Factors considered in this identification of potential ground water supply sites included distance from: the existing water system, the Saw Kill and any other streams, potential contaminant sources, roads, and houses; floodplain boundaries; parcel size; land use, and hydrogeological potential. A copy of this analysis shall be maintained in the office of the Town Clerk for public review.
To protect the Water District Wellhead in times of flood, the boundaries of the Water District Wellhead Protection Overlay (WDWP-O) District also include Flood Hazard Area properties immediately adjacent to the properties in the Wellhead Protection Area defined by Horsley & Witten and the Flood Hazard Area properties immediately adjacent to the properties defined by the New York Rural Water Association (NYRWA) as having the potential to serve as future ground water supply areas for the Woodstock Water District.
The sand and gravel aquifer in the Saw Kill valley was first mapped by the United States Geological Survey in a 1972 publication entitled "Ground-water resources of Orange and Ulster Counties, New York" by Michael H. Frimpter. The boundaries of the aquifer were later refined by NYRWA on the basis of topographic expression, soils data from the Ulster County Soil Survey, and subsurface data from available water wells and test borings.
The extent of the boundaries of the Water District Wellhead Protection Overlay (WDWP-O) District are delineated on a map titled "Water District Wellhead Protection Overlay (WDWP-O) District Map, Town of Woodstock," which is hereby adopted and is declared to be an appurtenant part of this section and may be amended in the same manner as any other part of this section. Said Map shall be kept up-to-date and shall be maintained in the office of the Town Clerk for the use and benefit of the public.
The locations and boundaries of said districts are hereby established as shown on the Zoning Map, Town of Woodstock. Said map, together with all explanatory matter thereon and all amendments thereto, is hereby adopted and is declared to be an appurtenant part of this chapter and may be amended in the same manner as any other part of this chapter. Said map shall be kept up-to-date and shall be located in the office of the Town Clerk for the use and benefit of the public.
Where uncertainty exists with respect to the boundaries of any of the aforesaid zoning districts as shown on the Zoning Map, the following rules shall apply:
A. 
Where district boundaries are indicated as approximately following the center lines or right-of-way lines of streets, highways, 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, public utility, or watercourse is moved a maximum distance of 50 feet.
B. 
Where district boundaries are indicated as approximately following the Town boundary line, property lines, lot lines or projections thereof, or topographic lines, said boundaries shall be construed to be coincident with such lines or projections thereof.
C. 
Where district boundaries are so indicated that they are approximately parallel to the Town 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.
D. 
In all other cases, where dimensions are not shown on the Zoning Map, the location of the boundaries shown on said map shall be determined by use of the scale appearing thereon.
E. 
Where district boundaries divide a lot, as many lots as possible may be created which are consistent with the density requirements of the district within which the land falls; for the remaining land which borders the district boundary line dividing the lot, the lowest density zoning category of the remaining land shall apply.
The boundary of the Flood-Fringe Overlay (FF-O) District is established herein as delineated on the most current edition of the appropriate Federal Insurance Administration Flood Hazard Boundary Map as issued for the Town of Woodstock by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Any revisions, amendments or successors thereto, including designation of a Floodway (FW) District, with all explanatory matter thereon, are hereby adopted and made part of this chapter. The latest edition of said map shall be kept on file in the office of the Town Clerk and the Town Zoning Enforcement Officer for the use and benefit of the public. The Town of Woodstock may add to the Flood-Fringe Overlay (FF-O) District those lands which may not be included on the FEMA mapping but which have been shown to comprise a flood hazard through periodic inundation.
Except as hereinafter otherwise provided:
A. 
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.
B. 
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 or use.
C. 
No yard or lot existing at the time of the 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.
D. 
No off-street parking or loading space required for one building or use shall be included as satisfying, in whole or in part, the off-street parking or loading space required for another building or use except as otherwise provided for by this chapter.
E. 
No off-street parking or loading space shall be so reduced in area that it does not meet the minimum requirements of this chapter.
F. 
Within each district, the regulations set forth by this chapter shall be considered minimum regulations and shall apply uniformly to each kind of use, building, structure or land.
[Amended 7-3-2013 by L.L. No. 1-2013]