As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
ACCESSORY STRUCTURE
A structure of the use which is customarily incidental and subordinate to that of the principal building to which it is attached, or is located on the same lot or premises. Accessory structures are not for the purpose of human habitation and include tennis courts, garages, garden sheds and toolsheds, barns, playhouses, dish antennas, windmills and solar collectors. Mobile homes shall not be utilized as accessory structures.
ACCESSORY USE
A use, occupancy or tenancy which is customarily incidental and subordinate to the principal use, occupancy or tenancy, and located on the same lot or premises.
ADULT USE AND ENTERTAINMENT ESTABLISHMENTS
Otherwise known as "x-rated" businesses; businesses, which by New York State Law patrons must be 21 years of age or older. Includes adult bookstores, peep shows, topless juice bars, strip clubs, and other sexually oriented businesses.
AGRICULTURAL DATA STATEMENT
An identification of farm operations within an agricultural district located within 500 feet of the boundary of property upon which an action requiring municipal review and approval by the Planning Board, Zoning Board of Appeals or Town Board pursuant to Article 16 of the Town Law is proposed, as provided in § 305-b of Article 25AA of the New York State Agriculture and Markets Law.
[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I)]
AGRITOURISM
Corn mazes, agricultural educational venues, hayrides and other assorted agriculture-associated activities that occur on an ongoing basis.
AIRSTRIP
Facility, either grassed or gravel, that provides for the landing and takeoff of small airplanes.
ANIMAL HUSBANDRY
The raising of animals and birds for food, wool, breeding, preservation or pleasure.
ASSOCIATION/LODGE
A building or facility owned by a nonprofit, fraternal organization that is primarily for use by members only.
ATV/DIRT BIKE/MOTOCROSS TRACKS
Tracks commercially open to the public for the regular use of all-terrain vehicles, dirt bikes and motocross.
BAR/TAVERN/SALOON
A business where alcoholic beverage is served and consumed, with food consumption incidental to alcohol beverages.
BED-AND-BREAKFAST
A private dwelling in which at least one and not more than four rooms are offered for rent for transient occupancy, in which overnight lodging and breakfast are offered to such occupant, and in which no public restaurant is maintained.
BOARDING KENNEL
A facility that accepts transient dogs and cats for short-duration stays.
BREEDING KENNEL
A facility where dogs are bred for sale, with more than nine dogs sold in one year.
BUILDING
A structure wholly or partially enclosed within exterior walls, or within exterior and party walls, and a roof, affording shelter to persons, animals, property or business activity. See definition of "structure."
BUILDING HEIGHT
The vertical distance measured from the average elevation of the finished grade along the side of the building with the lowest finished grade to the highest point on the coping of a flat roof, to the deckline of mansard roofs, and the average height between eaves and ridge for gamble, hip and gambrel roofs, but not including chimneys, spires, towers, tanks and similar projections.
CAMPGROUND, VACATION
Two or more cabins, tents, travel or other camping trailers, shelters, or other accommodations of a design or character suitable for seasonal or other more or less temporary living purposes, regardless of whether such structures or other accommodations actually are occupied seasonably or otherwise, not including a trailer park, boardinghouse, hotel or motel.
CAR REPAIR SHOP
A facility that repairs automobiles and like machinery.
CAR SALES, NEW
An NYS-licensed business which primarily sells cars that are new.
CAR SALES, USED
An NYS-licensed business which primarily sells cars that have had previous owners.
CAR WASH
A facility that manually or mechanically cleans the exteriors, and possibly the interiors, of cars.
CEMETERY
Burial ground for human remains.
CHURCH
Building where religious worship occurs owned by an IRS-recognized religion; is allowed to have accessory uses such as Sunday schools and church halls.
DAY-CARE CENTER
Facility that tends to and may provide education to three or more children unrelated to the provider on a fee basis.
DENSITY
The dwelling units per square acre allowed under Article IV, Area and Bulk Regulations.
DOCK/LAUNCHING AREAS
Facilities to tie up boats or to place boats, either car-top or trailer, into rivers, lakes or ponds.
DORMITORIES
A residence owned by an institution or business that houses multiple individuals that are usually students or employees of the institution or business. May provide food service as part of the usage.
DRIVE-THROUGH, COMMERCIAL
A commercial, restaurant or retail facility that provides service though a window to occupants in an automobile.
EDGE OF ROADWAY PAVEMENT
Edge of blacktop; does not include ditches, swales and embankments.
FARM BED-AND-BREAKFAST
A bed-and-breakfast facility located on a working farm.
FARM OCCUPATION
A business run by a farmer or his family member(s) on farm property that is incidental and not necessarily related to the farm business. The farm occupation, if not located in a barn or other existing outbuilding, is limited to a new building of 5,000 square feet in area.
FARM STAND, LARGE
An enclosed building that sells produce from the landholder and from off-site producers. The large farm stand is likely to have multiple customers regularly.
FARM STAND, SMALL
A table or shelter that sells produce from the landholder and neighboring properties.
FIELD CROPS
The growing of fruits and vegetables outdoors for food, fodder, and grain. Includes hay and straw fields.
FINISHED GRADE
The elevation at which the finished surface of the surrounding lot, either natural or upon completion of any change in contour, intersects the walls and supports of a structure.
FIRE AND POLICE STATION
Facility for emergency response personnel and equipment, including garaging of vehicles. Also includes ambulance services.
FISH AND GAME CLUB
A members-only facility that provides hunting and fishing access, as well as training, target range and other amenities, to its sportsmen members.
FOOD PRODUCTION
A facility that manufactures food products from raw or semiprocessed food stocks.
FOR-PROFIT EDUCATIONAL
Classrooms that provide incidental education and/or training, such as dance studios, karate, tutoring facilities, private sports training offices and classrooms. Does not include riding academies.
FORESTRY
The management, including logging or timber harvesting, of 100 trees or more of a forest, woodland or plantation and related research and educational activities, including the construction, alteration and/or maintenance of wood roads, skidways, landing areas, fences and forest drainage systems.
FUEL STORAGE
A facility that stores fuel oil, kerosene, gasoline or propane for delivery to businesses and/or houses.
FURNITURE PRODUCTION
A facility that manufactures furniture, including cabinetry.
GAS STATION
A facility where gasoline and other automotive fuels are sold retail, with minor repairs and maintenance to automobiles allowed.
GREENHOUSES
The commercial growing of plants in traditional glass or temporary greenhouses.
GROUP HOMES
A residence that houses several unrelated individuals, generally with similar needs.
HEALTH CARE FACILITY
Medical offices, hospital, or health care clinic.
HEAVY MANUFACTURING
A facility that creates a product by fabrication, alteration, processing, finishing, or assembly of raw materials and packaging, warehousing, and storage of articles in quantity, where noise, fumes, glare or vibration are discernible at the property's edge.
HELIPORT
Facility maintained to provide for the landing of helicopters. Does not include fueling.
HIGHWAY GARAGE
A municipally owned facility for the storage and maintenance of highway maintenance equipment, deicer storage, highway personnel facilities, and offices.
HIKE/BIKE TRAILS
Trails for nonmotorized locomotion.
HOME OCCUPATION, MAJOR
Any service or business conducted entirely within a dwelling or customary accessory structure and carried on by its residents, that includes the parking or more than one business vehicle, regular parking or more than one customer at a time, outdoor storage of goods, or loud noise or odor discernible beyond the property boundaries.
HOME OCCUPATION, MINOR
Any service or business conducted entirely within a dwelling or customary accessory structure and carried on by its residents that does not include the outside storage of goods, parking of more than one business vehicle or the regular parking of more than one customer at a time.
HOMELESS SHELTERS
A residence that provides housing on a daily or longer basis to those without shelter. May be male-only and women-and-children-only.
HOTEL
A building or any part thereof which contains living and sleeping accommodations for transient occupancy and has a common exterior entrance or entrances, and may contain one or more dining rooms.
INDOOR ENTERTAINMENT
Includes bowling alleys, arcades, roller-skating rinks, movie theaters, stage theaters, concert halls, soccer arenas, enclosed sports arena.
JUNKYARD
See the definition of "junkyard" in § 240-2 of Chapter 204, Junkyards, of the Code of the Town of Hoosick.
[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I)]
LANDFILL
A lot or land area used primarily for the disposal or abandonment by burial, burning or any other means and for whatever purpose of garbage, sewage, trash, refuse, junk, discarded machinery, vehicles or parts thereof, or waste material of any kind.
LARGE COMMERCIAL USE
A commercial use is one which is undertaken for business purpose rather than hobby, recreational or other purpose in which a building is more than 5,000 square feet.
LIGHT MANUFACTURING
A facility that creates a product by fabrication, alteration, processing, finishing, or assembly of raw materials and packaging, warehousing, and storage of articles in quantity, where noise, fumes, glare or vibration from the facility are indiscernible outside the building or at property's edge.
LOT
A parcel of land having defined boundaries and entirely owned by the same party or parties.
LOT AREA
The total area of a lot within lot lines.
LOT OF RECORD
A legally existing lot at the time of the adoption of this chapter duly filed and recorded in the Rensselaer County Clerk's office as either an individual parcel of land or part of an approved subdivision.
LOT WIDTH
The width of a lot at the front building line of a structure or proposed structure.
MACHINE SHOP/REPAIR SHOP
A facility that repairs motors and small engines, machines metal for use in parts.
MINIMUM FRONT SETBACK
The smallest distance allowed between the edge of roadway pavement and structures built upon the lot.
MINIMUM LOT AREA
The smallest lot size allowed in a particular zoning district.
MINIMUM REAR SETBACK
The smallest distance allowed between the rear property line and structures built upon the lot.
MINIMUM SIDE SETBACK
The smallest distance allowed between the side property line and structures built upon the lot.
MINING, AGGREGATE
The removal of rock for sale and placement or use off-site.
MINING, SAND AND GRAVEL, LARGE-SCALE
The removal of 750 cubic yards or 1,000 tons of sand, gravel or soil per year for sale and placement off-site, requiring a mining permit from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.
MINING, SAND AND GRAVEL, SMALL-SCALE
The removal up to 750 cubic yards or 1,000 tons of sand, gravel or soil a year for sale and placement off-site.
MOBILE HOME PARK
Any lot, parcel, tract of land or portion thereof, together with the open space and facilities required by local law, whereon two or more mobile homes are parked or located, or which is planned and improved for the placement of mobile homes.
MOTEL
A building or any part thereof which contains living and sleeping accommodations for transient occupancy and has separate entrances for each accommodation.
MULTIFAMILY
A building containing more that two housing units, generally owned by one party, but units can be owned separately as a condominium.
MUNICIPAL BUILDING
Building owned by the Town of Hoosick, Village of Hoosick Falls, Rensselaer County, State of New York, or United State federal government in which regular governmental business occurs, including Town/village/county offices and community/senior centers.
MUSEUM
Facility devoted to the procurement, care, study, and display of objects of lasting interest or value.
NONCOMPLYING STRUCTURE, LOT OR PARCEL
An existing structure or parcel of land which does not comply with the district regulations for lot area, width or depth; front, side or rear setbacks; maximum height; or lot coverage after the enactment or amendment of this chapter.
NONCOMPLYING USE
An existing and otherwise lawful use which does not conform to the applicable use regulations for the district in which such use is located after the enactment or amendment of this chapter.
NOT-FOR-PROFIT SCHOOL
Primary and secondary school owned or run by a school district or private, not-for-profit organization.
NURSERY
The growing of trees, bushes and flowering plants and sale of such plants.
NURSING HOME
A facility that provides long-term residential and medical care to its residents.
OUTDOOR ENTERTAINMENT
Includes drive-in theaters, miniature golf courses, tubing facilities, driving ranges, open sports arenas, racetracks, and go-cart racing.
PAPER/CARDBOARD PRODUCTION
A facility that manufactures paper or cardboard from raw or recycled materials.
PERMITTED USE
A specific use noted in Article III of this chapter, or similar use, for which land, lots, building or structures may be used, occupied or maintained by right.
PERSONAL SERVICES
The workplace of occupations such as barber, hairdresser, personal appearance specialist, masseuse/masseur, tattoo parlors, tanning salon, piercing parlor, etc.
PET CEMETERY
A burial ground for animals in which the plots are purchased or leased by the pet owner from a third party.
POWER GENERATOR, WINDMILLS, COMMERCIAL
A facility that creates electricity from wind-driven generators where the electricity is primarily sold to the electrical power grid.
POWER GENERATOR, WINDMILLS, PERSONAL
A facility that creates electricity from a wind-driven generator where the electricity created is used primarily for by a household or business and incidentally sold to the electrical power grid.
POWER PLANT, GARBAGE
A facility that creates electricity from the burning of garbage or wastes.
POWER PLANT, GAS, OIL AND COAL
A facility that creates electricity from the burning of fossil fuels for sale into the power grid.
POWER PLANT, HYDRO
A facility that creates electricity from water-driven generators for sale into the power grid.
POWER PLANT, NUCLEAR
A facility that creates electricity from nuclear fission or fusion.
PROFESSIONAL OFFICES
The workplace of occupations, including doctors, dentists, engineers, architects, real estate agents, surveyors, stockbrokers and other such similar occupations.
PROPERTY LINE
Also "lot line"; the line dividing one premises or lot from another, or from a road or other public space.
PUBLIC PARKS AND PLAYGROUNDS
Lands whose primary purposes are passive or active recreation, including soccer and ball fields.
RESTAURANT
An establishment whose principal business is the sale of food to customers in a ready-to-consume state, and whose principal method of operation includes the following characteristics:
A. 
Customers, normally provided with an individual menu, are served their food and beverage by a restaurant employee at the same table or counter at which food and beverage are consumed; and/or
B. 
A cafeteria-like operation where food and beverage generally are consumed within or adjacent to the restaurant building.
RIDING STABLES AND ACADEMIES
Facilities that board for fee five or more horses and may provide training on riding and horsemanship.
ROAD CENTER LINE
The double yellow line if the highway is striped, or the center of the driving surface if a roadway is unstriped.
SAWMILLS/LUMBER MILLS
A permanent facility that creates lumber from raw trees, or that creates or refines dimensional lumber.
SELF-STORAGE UNITS
A facility that rents multiple individually accessible and contained unheated storage areas.
SINGLE-FAMILY ATTACHED
A dwelling that contains one housing unit, attached to another dwelling with a common wall.
SINGLE-FAMILY DETACHED
A dwelling that contains one housing unit, not attached to another with a common wall.
SLAUGHTER FACILITY
A commercial facility that slaughters livestock for production of meat and meat products for human consumption.
SMALL RETAIL, COMMERCIAL
A commercial use is one which is taken for business purpose, rather than hobby, recreational, educational or other purpose in which a building is less than 5,000 square feet.
SPECIAL EVENTS
Events where 250 or more visitors attend on a nonregular basis. Can be a fair, widely advertised special sale or auction, concert, sporting event or festival.
STRUCTURE
A combination of materials assembled, constructed or erected at a fixed location. Structures shall include, among others, buildings, stadiums, sheds, storage bins, reviewing and display stands, platforms, towers, solar collectors, antennas, swimming pools, gasoline pumps, billboards, signs and mobile dwellings.
TELECOMMUNICATIONS TOWER
See the definition of "telecommunications tower" in § 354-3 of Chapter 354, Wireless Telecommunication Facilities, of the Code of the Town of Hoosick.
[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I)]
TRANSPORTATION TERMINAL
A facility that receives and ships out goods and packages, also may include truck cleaning and simple maintenance.
TWO-FAMILY
A house that contains two housing units, generally owned by one party.
UTILITY RIGHT-OF-WAY
Land on which any public utility use, equipment or structure, other than local transmission facilities, utility poles, or collection or distribution pipes, is located. Does not include any use which is subject to the jurisdiction of the Public Service Commission pursuant to Article 7 or 8 of the Public Service Law.
VETERINARY CLINIC
A facility that provides medical services to animals, birds and other nonhuman fauna.
YOUTH DETENTION FACILITY
A public or private facility that provides secure housing and education to individuals under age 21 that have been remanded to the facility under court order.
ZOO
The keeping of nondomestic and other animals for viewing, research, preservation and breeding, under a DEC permit.
[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I)]