N.Y. Executive Law 811 – Special provisions relating to agency project review jurisdiction and the shoreline restrictions
§ 811. Special provisions relating to agency project review jurisdiction and the shoreline restrictions. 1. Notwithstanding any other provision of this article, including the provisions of the land use and development plan and the shoreline restrictions, the following provisions shall apply in connection with the project review jurisdiction of the agency under section eight hundred nine and application of the shoreline restrictions either by the agency in the review of a project or by operation of section eight hundred six.
Terms Used In N.Y. Executive Law 811
- Agency: means the Adirondack park agency created by section eight hundred three of this article. See N.Y. Executive Law 802
- class B regional project: means the land use and development and subdivisions of land listed and so characterized in section eight hundred ten. See N.Y. Executive Law 802
- Devise: To gift property by will.
- Gift: A voluntary transfer or conveyance of property without consideration, or for less than full and adequate consideration based on fair market value.
- In existence: means (a) with respect to any land use or development, including any structure, that such use or development has been substantially commenced or completed, and (b) with respect to any subdivision or portion of a subdivision, that such subdivision or portion has been substantially commenced and that substantial expenditures have been made for structures or improvements directly related thereto. See N.Y. Executive Law 802
- Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
- Land: means the earth, on or below the surface of the ground, including water and air above, the flora and fauna. See N.Y. Executive Law 802
- Mobile home: means any self-contained dwelling unit that is designed to be transported on its own wheels or those of another vehicle, may contain the same water supply, sewage disposal and electric system as immobile housing and is used for either permanent or seasonal occupancy. See N.Y. Executive Law 802
- Overall intensity guidelines: means the overall intensity guidelines for development for the various land use areas of the land use and development plan as contained in subdivision three of section eight hundred five. See N.Y. Executive Law 802
- plan: means the Adirondack park land use and development plan prepared by the Adirondack park agency as directed by law, approved by the agency on March three, nineteen hundred seventy-three, adopted in subdivision one of section eight hundred five, including the plan map, and any amendments thereto, the provisions of the plan as contained in subdivisions three and four of section eight hundred five and sometimes referred to as the "provisions of the plan" and any amendments thereto, and the shoreline restrictions contained in section eight hundred six, and any amendments thereto. See N.Y. Executive Law 802
- Project: means any new land use and development or subdivision of land that is subject to the review jurisdiction of either the agency or local government under this article. See N.Y. Executive Law 802
- Shoreline: means that line at which land adjoins the waters of lakes, ponds, rivers and streams within the Adirondack park at mean high water. See N.Y. Executive Law 802
- Shoreline restrictions: means those restrictions upon land use and development or subdivisions of land as contained in section eight hundred six. See N.Y. Executive Law 802
- Single family dwelling: means any detached building containing one dwelling unit, not including a mobile home. See N.Y. Executive Law 802
- State: means the state of New York. See N.Y. Executive Law 802
- Structure: means any object constructed, installed or placed on land to facilitate land use and development or subdivision of land, such as buildings, sheds, single family dwellings, mobile homes, signs, tanks, fences and poles and any fixtures, additions and alterations thereto. See N.Y. Executive Law 802
- subdivision: means any division of land into two or more lots, parcels or sites, whether adjoining or not, for the purpose of sale, lease, license or any form of separate ownership or occupancy (including any grading, road construction, installation of utilities or other improvements or any other land use and development preparatory or incidental to any such division) by any person or by any other person controlled by, under common control with or controlling such person or by any group of persons acting in concert as part of a common scheme or plan. See N.Y. Executive Law 802
- use: means any construction or other activity which materially changes the use or appearance of land or a structure or the intensity of the use of land or a structure. See N.Y. Executive Law 802
a. Single family dwelling on existing vacant lot. One single family dwelling or mobile home shall be allowed to be built on any vacant lot which was on record on the date that this act shall become a law regardless of the overall intensity guidelines, or the minimum lot width provisions of the shoreline restrictions. For the purposes of this exemption, such a lot must not adjoin other lots in the same ownership, provided however, that all such lots in the same ownership may be treated together as one lot. In addition to the foregoing exemption, where the agency has jurisdiction, for a reason other than its location in a critical environmental area, of a single family dwelling or mobile home on a lot described in this paragraph which is owned by an individual who has continually owned such lot since May twenty-second, nineteen hundred seventy-three, it may not disapprove the project on any of the grounds specified in paragraph e of subdivision ten of section eight hundred nine, but may impose such reasonable conditions on the type and manner of placement of any individual on-site sewage disposal facilities as are in furtherance of the purposes of this article and in compliance with applicable standards of the department of health.
b. Conversions of certain existing uses. Those structures in existence on the date that this act shall become a law that are associated with resort hotels, rental cottages and group camps shall be allowed to be converted from their previous use to individual single family residence use, notwithstanding the fact that such structures, as converted, do not conform to the overall intensity guidelines or the shoreline restrictions.
c. Gifts, devises and inheritances. The mere division of land resulting from bona fide gift, devise or inheritance by and from natural persons shall not be subject to review by the agency. New land use or development on lots, parcels or sites conveyed by individuals, who on the date that this act shall become law own such land, to members of their immediate families by bona fide gift, devise or inheritance, shall be exempt from the overall intensity guidelines and the minimum lot size criteria specified in the class B regional project lists for the purpose of constructing one single family dwelling or mobile home on any such lot, parcel or site.
2. Any pre-existing land use and development shall not be subject to review by the agency.
3. Any (a) pre-existing subdivision of land, (b) any subdivision or portion of a subdivision that involves seventy-five or fewer lots, parcels or sites for the completion of which any or all permits and other approvals required by or pursuant to law were obtained after July first, nineteen hundred seventy-one and for which all such required permits were in full force and effect on July thirty-first, nineteen hundred seventy-three, or (c) individual single family dwelling or mobile home, erected or placed on any lot, parcel or site in any subdivision referred to in clauses (a) and (b) hereof which has been approved by the state department of health, shall not be subject to review by the agency, provided, however, that a subdivision or portion of a subdivision described in clause (b) hereof shall become subject to review by the agency on August first, nineteen hundred seventy-four if such subdivision or portion is not in existence on said date. Any individual single family dwelling or mobile home referred to in clause (c) of this subdivision hereof shall not be subject to the minimum lot width provisions of the shoreline restrictions.
4. With respect to any land use or development or subdivision of land or portion thereof approved by the agency under its interim project review authority, in section eight hundred fifteen, such land use or development or subdivision or portion thereof may proceed in accordance with the terms of the approval and shall not be subject to further review by the agency so long as such land use or development or subdivision or portion thereof is substantially commenced and/or material expenditures and financial obligations have been incurred with regard to such land use or development or subdivision or portion thereof within two years of such approval.
5. Any existing land use or development, including any structure being restored or rebuilt in whole or in part, being increased or expanded, whether in successive stages or at one time, to a total of less than twenty-five percent of its size or square footage at the date of enactment or when originally built or undertaken, whichever is later, shall not be subject to review by the agency. Any material increase or expansion thereafter shall constitute a reviewable land use or development if otherwise within the agency's review jurisdiction. In no case shall any increase or expansion violate, or increase non-compliance with, the minimum setback requirements of the shoreline restrictions. Notwithstanding the foregoing, a single family dwelling or mobile home may always be enlarged or rebuilt to any extent provided that it continues to be used as such, provided, however, that no such increase or expansion shall violate, or increase any non-compliance with, the minimum setback requirements of the shoreline restrictions.