A.
Purpose. It is the specific purpose and intent of this section to allow an apartment accessory to a single-family detached dwelling in order to provide the opportunity for the development of small, rental units designed to meet a diversity of special housing needs, including but not limited to single persons and couples, both young and old, and of relatives of families living in the Town of Carmel. Furthermore, it is the purpose and intent of this subsection to allow the more efficient use of the Town's existing dwellings, to provide economic support for present resident families, to protect and preserve property values, to ensure healthy and safe living conditions for individuals, and to have more efficient regulation and control of Town growth and development. In furtherance of these objectives, specific standards are set forth below for accessory dwelling units. Nothing herein shall be construed to allow a short-term rental under these provisions.
B.
Standards.
(1)
Accessory dwelling units are allowed within the LDR and MDR zoning districts only. There shall be only one ADU on the property and it shall be located either in the single-family dwelling, or in an existing accessory building legally in existence on the effective date of this chapter, and all ADUs shall comply with all other applicable bulk regulations applicable to a single-family dwelling unit, e.g., yard setbacks. Any changes to create an ADU shall be within the existing building footprint. If an accessory dwelling is proposed in an existing detached building, such structure shall not be located more than 500 feet from the closest exterior wall of the principal dwelling.
(2)
The owner of the property shall reside in the principal or accessory dwelling.
(3)
Any ADU shall have a minimum habitable floor area of 400 square feet. Any ADU shall be no larger than 35% of the habitable floor area of a single-family detached dwelling, and for a detached ADU, the size shall not exceed 650 square feet of habitable floor area.
(4)
The accessory dwelling unit shall be a self-contained dwelling unit, with a separate external entrance and separate cooking, bathroom and sleeping facilities for the exclusive use of the occupant.
(5)
There shall be no more than two bedrooms in the accessory dwelling unit.
(6)
The principal building shall portray the character of a single-family detached dwelling. Only one entrance shall be permitted on the exterior wall of the single-family dwelling facing the front lot-line(s); all other entrances shall be limited to the side or sides of the building not visible from the front lot-line(s).
(7)
Adequate provisions shall exist for water supply and for the disposal of sewage and waste generated by the occupants, in accordance with the requirements of the Putnam County Department of Health. Evidence of the approval of the proposed method and adequacy of water supply and sewage disposal shall be obtained from the Putnam County Department of Health. Town Engineer approval shall be required if the proposed method of water supply or sewage disposal involves Town water and/or sewer facilities.
(8)
One off-street parking space shall be provided for each bedroom in an ADU. Said parking shall be in addition to the parking required by this chapter for the single-family dwelling and shall comply with the dimensional, setback and access requirements of this zoning chapter.
(9)
The accessory dwelling unit shall conform to all requirements of the New York State Building Code and all applicable state, county and Town regulations.
(10)
A building permit shall be obtained along with all required permits as determined by the Building Department, and a certificate of occupancy shall be obtained prior to its occupancy.
C.
Application. The applicant shall file an ADU application with the Building Department which shall include of the following information:
(1)
Name and address of owner.
(2)
Lot area, tax map sheet-block-lot number and zoning district in which the property is located.
(3)
Square footage of the entire structure and square footage of the accessory dwelling unit.
(4)
Number of existing and proposed on-site parking spaces.
(5)
Approval(s) pursuant to Subsection B(7) above relative to the proposed method of water supply and sewage disposal.
(6)
Current property survey showing size of the lot in square feet and all structures thereon as well as parking area prepared and sealed by a licensed surveyor, engineer or architect.
(7)
A floor plan, drawn to scale, of the entire structure showing proposed changes and identification of accessory dwelling unit.
(8)
Signed notarized authorization by the owner authorizing the Town of Carmel Building Department to make inspection(s) of the property at any reasonable time during daylight hours for the purpose of determining compliance with all code requirements, including those of this subsection.
(9)
An application fee in an amount set forth in a Fee Schedule adopted by the Town Board.
D.
Action. The Building Inspector shall either approve or disapprove the application within 30 days of the date of complete submission. In the case of an approval, the office of the Building Department shall inspect the ADU to ensure continuing compliance with all codes. If all codes are not met, the ADU permit shall be subject to revocation after a hearing by the Zoning Board of Appeals at which the permit holder is given an opportunity to be heard.
E.
Inspections/verification. At the time of permit issuance and at any reasonable time thereafter, the Building Department may require various forms of proof that either the principal dwelling or the ADU is occupied by the owner of the property as his or her principal residence. Such forms of proof include, but are not limited to, an affidavit by the owner accompanied by copies of utility bills, tax bills and proof that the owner does not have his or her mail forwarded to a different address.
F.
Refusal of lawful inspection and/or violation of continuing conditions. If any lawful inspection of the dwelling by the Town for the purpose of ensuring compliance with the provision of this subsection is refused by the owner when said inspection occurs at any reasonable time during daylight hours, or if the continuing conditions of the special permit are violated, the special permit shall be subject to revocation after a hearing by the Zoning Board of Appeals at which the permit holder is given an opportunity to be heard.
G.
Renewal and revocation of permit. The accessory dwelling permit shall be valid for a period of three years from the date that a certificate of occupancy is issued for the accessory dwelling, and it shall be renewed automatically and annually by the Building Inspector upon submission by the record owner of an annual certification for renewal to be provided by the Town, attesting that the principal single-family dwelling or accessory dwelling unit is maintained as the owner's domicile; and payment of a renewal fee, in such amount as established by resolution of the Town Board, provided the Building Inspector determines such use has been maintained in accordance with all requirements herein and any applicable conditions of approval. The accessory dwelling permit may be revoked by the Building Inspector at any time after due notice to the permittee, for failure to comply with the standards of this section, building code violations, or for reasons as cited by the Town Building Inspector.
H.
Transfer of title. Within 60 days after the record owner transfers title to premises for which a permit has been granted for an ADU, the new record owner shall provide such evidence to the Building Inspector as may be necessary to demonstrate that one of the units is occupied by the new record owner in accordance with requirements this section. In the event that the new record owner fails to do so, the Building Inspector shall serve a written notice upon the owner or occupant to do so by a date certain. If the record owner fails to do so, the Building Inspector shall give notice of such noncompliance to the record owner and shall commence such enforcement actions which are necessary to bring the accessory dwelling unit into compliance or to require removal of the ADU.
I.
Removal. In the event the principal dwelling or the accessory dwelling is no longer occupied by an owner/occupant, the permit shall expire and the apartment shall be removed within 30 days after such cessation of occupancy, unless for good cause an extension of said time is granted in writing by the Building Department.