A.
General. Accessory structure and/or use shall be located on the same lot of record as the permitted principal building and/or use. If a permitted principal building and/or use does not exist on a lot of record, an accessory structure or use may be constructed on such lot of record but shall be customarily incidental and subordinate to any future permitted principal building and/or use.
B.
Criteria for determining whether a use is accessory.
(1)
Use must be subordinate to the permitted principal use. A subordinate use incorporates the requirement that the accessory use be minor in relation to the permitted principal use. The following factors shall be considered in determining whether a use is subordinate:
(a)
Purpose and intent of the zoning district. The purpose and intent of the zoning district and the nature of uses allowed as a permitted principal use shall be considered. As written in its definition, an accessory use shall not be a nonconforming use, prohibited use and/or a special use.
(b)
Area devoted to the use. The area devoted to the use in relation to the permitted principal use shall be considered. However, the fact that an accessory use occupies less area than the permitted principal use does not necessarily make it subordinate, and the fact that a use occupies more area than the permitted principal use does not necessarily preclude it from being subordinate. For example, on a one-acre lot with a single-unit dwelling as the permitted principal use, gardening would nonetheless be subordinate to the permitted principal use even though the gardened portion of the lot may consume a significant portion of the lot's area.
(c)
Frequency of the use. The time devoted to the use in relation to the permitted principal use shall be considered. An occasional/seasonal use, in relation to a year-around permitted principal use, would likely be considered to be subordinate to the permitted principal use. Conversely, a purported year-round accessory use would not be subordinate to a occasional/seasonal permitted principal use.
(d)
Active versus passive activities. The relative intensity of the use, and the resulting impacts on the land and the neighboring structures and/or lots of record, shall be considered. For example, as between a landscaping business and a nursery, the landscaping business is often the more intense use because it may have a business office, employees and landscaping vehicles and equipment coming and going, as well as a storage yard where landscaping equipment and materials are stored and equipment is maintained. A nursery, on the other hand, may be limited to an area where plants are stored and watered until they can be used in the landscaping work.
(e)
Number of employees and work hours. The number of employees assigned to a use and their work hours shall be a relevant consideration. Although in most cases one may expect that the accessory use will have fewer employees than the permitted principal use, that is not always the case. For example, an equipment storage yard use may have a single employee assigned to work on storage-related activities. However, the maintenance of the stored equipment could be considered to be a permitted subordinate use, even though there are more employees performing equipment maintenance work.
(f)
Whether the use is truly subordinate to the permitted principal use or whether it is a different, alternative additional principal use. The use must truly be subordinate to the permitted principal use and not be a different, alternative or additional use. For example, a barn constructed to house heavy construction equipment used solely for construction services is a different, alternative additional use than a farm operation.
(2)
Use shall be customarily incidental to the permitted principal use. The term "incidental" incorporates the concept of a reasonable relationship with the permitted principal use. It is not enough that the use be subordinate; it must also be attendant or concomitant. To ignore this latter aspect of "incidental" would be to permit any use which is not a permitted principal use, no matter how unrelated it is to the permitted principal use. The following factors shall be considered in determining whether a use is customarilincidentalal to the permitted principal use:
(a)
The size of the lot of record and surrounding land conditions.
(b)
The nature of the permitted principal use located at the lot of record, adjacent lots of record and allowed in the applicable zoning district.
(c)
The goals, objectives and purpose of the applicable zoning district as indicated in the Comprehensive Plan and this chapter.
(d)
Whether the proposed use is customarily incidental to the permitted principal use as determined by an AHJ.
For example, the kinds of uses that are commonly, habitually and by long practice established as uses that are reasonably associated with a single-unit dwelling include garages, swimming pools, decks, gazebos, small sheds and small-scale gardening; the kinds of uses that are commonly, habitually and by long practice established as uses that are reasonably associated with a farm operation include barns, sheds, silos, the storage of farm equipment and machinery, and the raising of crops and livestock.
C.
Location. Accessory structures shall be constructed in compliance with requirements for the zoning district in which such structure is located, except as noted elsewhere in this chapter. Exemption(s):
(1)
Clothesline and flagpoles. Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, clotheslines and flagpoles shall be exempt from any yard requirements, provided that such poles shall be constructed of standard materials used for such purposes.
(2)
Exterior stairs not acting as a means of egress. Exterior stairs not acting as a means of egress as prescribed by the Uniform Code shall be at least five feet from any lot line. However, such stairs are permitted to be located at the MHWL at lots of record contiguous to Keuka Lake or Seneca Lake, unless permitted otherwise by an AHJ.
(3)
Private garage. A private garage shall be permitted to be located a minimum of 10 feet from the front lot line at a sloping lot of record unless it is located within the Lakefront Residential District, which such setback is five feet from a lake road.
(4)
Outdoor hot tubs, spas and swimming pools.
(a)
Location. Outdoor hot tubs, spas and swimming pools shall be located only at a rear and/or side yard of a lot of record.
(b)
Setbacks. Outdoor hot tubs, spas and swimming pools shall be at least five feet from any lot line, measured to the exterior wall of the pool. Filters, pumps and other appurtenant machinery shall also be located at least five feet from any lot line.
(c)
Supported by other structures. Hot tubs, spas and swimming pools that are supported by other structures (e.g., decks, porches, etc.) shall be certified by a registered design professional to support such additional loads.
(5)
School bus waiting shelter. A school bus waiting shelter shall be permitted to be located a minimum of 10 feet from the front lot line and five feet from a side lot line. Such shelter shall not be greater than 50 square feet in gross floor area.
(6)
Shoreline structure. A shoreline structure shall be permitted to be located at the MHWL unless permitted otherwise by the Keuka Lake Uniform Docking and Mooring Law of the Town, as currently in effect and as hereafter amended from time to time,[1] or an AHJ (e.g., NYSDEC, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, etc.).





























































