[Amended 2-18-2010 by L.L. No. 1-2010; 12-9-2010 by L.L. No. 6-2010; 11-18-2021 by L.L. No. 4-2021]
For the purposes of promoting the public health, safety, and general welfare of the Town of Warwick, the Town is hereby divided into the following types of districts:
District Label
Zoning District
AI
Agricultural Industry
RU
Rural
MT
Mountain
CO
Conservation
SL
Suburban Residential Low-Density
SM
Suburban Residential Medium-Density
LB
Local Hamlet Business
OI
Office and Industrial Park
DS
Designed Shopping
SH-F
Senior Housing Floating
TN-O
Traditional Neighborhood Overlay
AP-O
Agricultural Protection Overlay
AQ-O
Aquifer Protection Overlay
RL-O
Ridgeline Overlay
LC
Land Conservation
BC-O
Biodiversity Conservation Overlay
CB
Community Business
CD-O
Cannabis Dispensary Overlay
A. 
AI. The purpose of the Agricultural Industry District is to support agriculture and compatible industries on the black dirt and surrounding soils.
B. 
RU. The purpose of the Rural District is to maintain the Town's historic pattern of rural and agricultural settlements, characterized by large expanses of open space and unspoiled views from the road, a scattering of residences, farms, and small businesses, and clustered development surrounded by open space.
C. 
MT. The purpose of the Mountain District is to protect the scenic beauty of Warwick's mountainous lands by restricting development that would mar the scenic landscapes of the Town's higher elevations and by establishing a density of development appropriate to the thin and fragile soil conditions found there.
D. 
CO. The purpose of the Conservation District is to recognize the environmental sensitivity associated with Mounts Adam and Eve, Warwick, Taylor and Bellvale Mountains, the Appalachian Trail, and significant freshwater wetlands and to restrict large-scale development affecting such areas.
E. 
SL. The purpose of the Suburban Residential Low-Density District is to maintain the character of existing suburban density residential developments and to allow a limited extension of suburban growth patterns. The SL District is one of three districts designated to receive developments rights, transferred from the AP-O District.
F. 
SM. The purpose of the Suburban Residential Medium-Density District is to allow for the development and redevelopment of residential parcels where central water and sewer services are available and to allow a limited extension of such suburban growth patterns, provided water and sewer services are constructed by developers. The SM District is one of three districts designated to receive developments rights, transferred from the AP-O District.
G. 
LB. The purpose of the Local Hamlet Business District is to encourage increased pedestrian-oriented commercial and retail activity in the Town's hamlets and create a location where greater flexibility is provided for mixed use of commercial and residential uses within individual structures to provide a variety of housing options and lower business costs. The LB District is one of three districts designated to receive developments rights, transferred from the AP-O District.
H. 
OI. The purpose of the Office and Industrial Park District is to allow for the continuation of viable agricultural uses and the development of planned office and light industrial uses, such as the airport and light industry, that might negatively affect residential areas and are best segregated from other land uses.
I. 
DS. The purpose of the Design Shopping District is to allow community-scale commercial uses that rely heavily on automobile and truck access and that would not be compatible with a traditional hamlet neighborhood area.
J. 
SH-F. The purpose of the Senior Housing Floating District is to enable the Town Board to permit, on a case-by-case basis, senior housing that satisfies the special needs and habits of senior citizens in locations where they will not detract from surrounding land uses.
[Amended 1-24-2002 by L.L. No. 2-2002]
K. 
TN-O. The purpose of the Traditional Neighborhood Overlay District is to maintain the traditional scale, density and character of the areas surrounding the Town's villages and hamlets. The TN-O District encourages development of fully integrated, mixed-use pedestrian-oriented neighborhoods designed to minimize traffic congestion, suburban sprawl, infrastructure costs, and environmental degradation. Use of the overlay district in areas long ago designated for more compact development will allow for the creation of receiving zones for development rights transferred from the Town's AP-O District.
L. 
RL-O. The purpose of the Ridgeline Overlay District is to establish clear guidelines for future development and protection of the Town's ridgelines, which are found at higher elevations and which comprise the most scenic and environmentally sensitive areas of the Town.
M. 
AP-O. The purpose of the Agricultural Protection Overlay District is to protect and maintain the Town's farmland for present and future agricultural uses.
N. 
AQ-O. The purpose of the Aquifer Protection Overlay District is to protect, preserve, and maintain the quality and quantity of the Town's irreplaceable groundwater resources.
O. 
LC. The purpose of the Land Conservation District is to recognize and provide for the preservation of permanent open space and limited development on lands under the ownership or control of the Palisades Interstate Park Commission and the National Park Service. Use of the remaining private lands within the LC District are subject to the requirements of the OI and CO Districts and all other applicable regulations.
[Amended 10-24-2002 by L.L. No. 6-2002]
P. 
BC-O. The purpose of the Biodiversity Conservation Overlay District is to recognize the importance of the Town’s natural resources, including the diverse habitats and natural systems found within the Town, to conserve biodiversity, reduce habitat fragmentation, and minimize habitat loss while providing for residential and commercial development in appropriate locations.
[Added 2-18-2010 by L.L. No. 1-2010]
Q. 
CB. The purpose of the Community Business District is to provide a place for attractive development of business activities that serve community needs. A limited number of curb cuts along New York State Route 94 is required by the Town’s marginal access road standards, to minimize conflicts with through traffic and to conserve the capacity of the roadway, while providing linkages between business establishments on adjacent parcels. Careful review of both site and architectural elements is required in this district to enhance the overall quality of site development and promote architectural design that is compatible with the overall historic character of the Village and Town of Warwick.
[Added 12-9-2010 by L.L. No. 6-2010]
R. 
CD-O. The purpose of the Cannabis Dispensary Overlay District is to allow for the establishment of adult-use cannabis retail dispensaries in accordance with the New York State Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act § 131.
[Added 11-18-2021 by L.L. No. 4-2021]
A. 
Designation. The above-cited districts are bounded as shown on a map entitled "Zoning Map of the Town of Warwick," adopted herewith and certified by the Town Clerk, which accompanies and which, with all explanatory matter thereon, is hereby made a part of this chapter.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: The Zoning Map is on file in the office of the Town Clerk.
B. 
Official copy. Said map, indicating the latest amendments, shall be kept up-to-date 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 districts as shown on the Zoning Map, the following rules shall apply:
A. 
Following center lines. Where district boundaries are indicated as approximately following the center lines of streets, parkways, waterways or railroad right-of-way lines, the district boundaries shall be construed to coincide with the center lines of streets, parkways, waterways or railroad right-of-way lines, or such lines extended.
B. 
Following lot lines. Where district boundaries are so indicated that they approximately follow the lot lines, such lot lines shall be construed to be said boundaries.
C. 
Parallel to center lines. Where district boundaries are so indicated that they are approximately parallel to the center lines or street lines of streets or the center lines or right-of-way lines of highways, such district boundaries shall be construed as being parallel thereto and at such distance therefrom as indicated on the Zoning Map. If no distance is given, such dimension shall be determined by the use of the scale shown on said Zoning Map.
D. 
Water bodies. Where the boundary of a district follows a stream, lake or other body of water, said boundary line shall be deemed to be at the limit of the jurisdiction of the Town of Warwick, unless otherwise indicated.
E. 
Lots in two districts. Where a district boundary line divides a lot in a single or joint ownership of record at the time such line is adopted, the regulations for the less restricted portion of such lot shall extend not more than 30 feet into the more restricted portion, provided that the lot has frontage on the street in the less restricted district. For the purposes of this section, the more restricted district shall be deemed that district subject to regulations which:
(1) 
Prohibit the use intended to be made of said lot; or
(2) 
Require higher standards with respect to setbacks, coverage, yards, screening, landscaping and similar requirements.
F. 
District lines within 30 feet of lot lines. In all cases where a district boundary line is located not farther than 30 feet away from a lot line of record, such boundary line shall be construed to coincide with such lot lines.
In addition to the zoning districts, this chapter also establishes overlay districts which add additional requirements to protect identified natural and cultural resources. These districts are described in Article IV. In addition, housing for senior citizens has been addressed by this chapter through a floating zone. The Senior Housing Floating Zone has not been mapped. This district is established through the zoning amendment process enumerated in Article VI and as further described in § 164-49.1.