ADU Rules in the Town of Lloyd, NY: Highland, Clintondale and Beyond

By Spenser McCoy

If you own a home in Highland, Clintondale or elsewhere in the Town of Lloyd and want a small second home for a parent, an adult child or a long-term tenant, the Town's zoning code has a provision for it. Lloyd calls it an accessory apartment, and the rules are specific. They are also demanding, so it is worth knowing them before you spend on design. This guide is general information and not a ruling on your parcel.

What the code says

The Town of Lloyd's accessory apartment section, which we found as Section 100-42 of the zoning chapter, allows one accessory apartment per single-family dwelling by special use permit. In summary, it requires that:

- The apartment is between 400 and 900 square feet of gross floor area.

- It is self-contained, with its own cooking, sleeping and sanitary facilities, and has one bedroom or is a studio.

- The main house is owner-occupied.

- The lot has at least the minimum acreage for its zoning district, per the Town's dimensional table.

- The apartment can be inside the house, attached, or in a secondary structure such as a garage or carriage house. A detached structure has to meet the side yard setbacks that apply to a principal dwelling.

- Off-street parking follows the Town's parking section.

- The owner acknowledges in writing that the Code Enforcement Officer may inspect the unit if the property is sold.

Two details deserve attention. The one-bedroom limit rules out a two-bedroom unit for a family. The Planning Board may also expect a detached building to match or improve the look of the main house, so design counts.

The code requires the Ulster County Department of Health to approve any on-site sanitary or water supply system the project needs, and the approval has to include a determination that the systems can handle the added demand. If your property is on a private septic system or well, this step often shapes the whole project. Find out the age and capacity of your system early.

The permit path

Applications for the special use permit go to the Planning Board, and the code also calls for site plan review. If your plan does not meet a dimensional requirement, you may also need a variance from the Zoning Board of Appeals.

Grant programs

RUPCO's Plus One ADU program has listed the Town of Lloyd among its participating communities on an earlier Ulster County page. Program rules and participating towns change, so check RUPCO's current page, and keep in mind that a grant-funded unit must also satisfy the Town's code.

What to check before you design

1. Your zoning district and its minimum acreage.

2. Whether a one-bedroom or studio unit of 400 to 900 square feet meets your family's needs.

3. Your septic system or well, and what the county would need to see.

4. Where on the lot a unit could sit under the side yard setbacks.

5. Whether you will live in the main house.

Where OneBuild helps

OneBuild is a designer-led coordination firm. We are not a general contractor, so you contract directly with the builder and manufacturer. We take no commission from manufacturers or contractors. A feasibility study reads the code for your parcel and checks zoning, setbacks, septic or well conditions and utilities before you commit to design or construction spend, including the advice that a site should not be built on.

Next step

Book a free 30-minute discovery call. Bring your address and a short description of who the unit is for.

Informational only. This is not legal advice. Zoning codes are amended and apply parcel by parcel, so confirm everything with the Town of Lloyd.