Overview

The Building Department administers the Village's building, zoning, and planning functions. This includes issuing building permits, conducting inspections, enforcing the Village Code, and providing administrative support to the Planning Board and Zoning Board of Appeals.

Name	Title	Email	Phone
Aron Goldklang	Building Department Director/ Administrator	buildingoffice@newsquare-ny.gov	845-354-1000 #102
Dan Dodd	Building Inspector / Code Enforcement Officer, Fusco Engineering, Plan Review & Engineering	building@newsquare-ny.gov	845-354-1000 #107

Zoning Code & Map

Current Zoning Code

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Current Zoning Map

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Forms & Applications

Building permit, site plan, and variance applications are available on the Village's Forms and Applications page.

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Meeting & Hearing Schedule

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Understanding the Planning Board

The Planning Board reviews development proposals — such as site plans and subdivisions — to make sure new construction and land use fit responsibly into the Village. Its job is forward-looking: helping guide how New Square grows, rather than settling disputes about existing zoning rules.

What the Planning Board can do:

• Review and approve site plans for new construction or major property changes
• Review proposals to subdivide land into multiple lots
• Advise the Village on planning and development matters

What the Planning Board cannot do:

• Grant variances or exceptions from the zoning code (that's the Zoning Board of Appeals)
• Change or amend the zoning law itself (that's the Board of Trustees)

Site Plan Review

Most new construction and significant property changes in New Square require site plan review and approval by the Planning Board — this applies to nearly every project except single- and two-family homes and small multifamily buildings with four units or fewer. During review, the Planning Board considers things like the site's parking, landscaping, drainage, lighting, and how the project fits in with the surrounding neighborhood. A complete application includes detailed drawings — site layout, grading, utilities, lighting, drainage, and landscaping — prepared and signed by a licensed architect, engineer, or surveyor. Because construction projects also require environmental review under New York's State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA), that review takes place as part of the same process before the Planning Board makes its decision

If your project needs Planning Board review, your application is submitted through the Building Department, which will guide you through the process and let you know what materials are needed for your hearing.

For information on scheduling a matter before the Planning Board, contact the Building Department. Application forms are available in Forms and Applications.

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Understanding the Zoning Board of Appeals

The Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) exists to handle two kinds of situations: when someone disagrees with how the Building Department applied the zoning code to their property, or when someone needs permission to use their property in a way the zoning code doesn't otherwise allow.

The ZBA handles two types of requests:

• Interpretations — If the Building Department denies a permit (or issues one a neighbor disputes) based on how the zoning code is being read, the ZBA can be asked to weigh in on what the code actually means for that situation.
• Variances — If strict application of the zoning code would create a genuine hardship for a specific property, the ZBA can grant permission to deviate from the code.

Use Variances

A use variance allows a property to be used in a way the zoning code doesn't normally permit for that district. New York State law sets a high bar for granting one: the applicant must demonstrate all four of the following, for every permitted use allowed in that zoning district:

• The applicant cannot earn a reasonable financial return from any use permitted under the current zoning — supported by real financial evidence, not just an assertion.
• The hardship is unique to this property — it doesn't apply to a substantial portion of the surrounding neighborhood or district.
• Granting the variance will not alter the essential character of the neighborhood.
• The hardship was not created by the applicant themselves.

All four factors must be established — the Board cannot waive or overlook any one of them, no matter how sympathetic the individual circumstances. If even one factor isn't met, a use variance cannot legally be granted, regardless of how reasonable the request may otherwise seem.

Area Variances

An area variance allows relief from a physical or dimensional requirement — like a setback, lot size, or height limit — without changing what the property is used for. Unlike a use variance, there's no rigid four-part test; instead, the Board weighs the benefit to the applicant against the potential harm to the neighborhood, considering:

• Whether the variance will produce an undesirable change in the neighborhood's character, or a detriment to nearby properties.
• Whether the applicant could reasonably achieve their goal some other way, without needing a variance.
• Whether the variance being requested is substantial.
• Whether the variance will have an adverse physical or environmental effect on the neighborhood.
• Whether the difficulty was self-created — this is a factor the Board must weigh, but it does not automatically disqualify the application on its own.

In both cases, the ZBA must grant only the minimum variance necessary to address the hardship — not simply whatever the applicant originally requested — while still protecting the character and safety of the neighborhood.

For information on scheduling a matter before the Zoning Board of Appeals, contact the Building Department. Application forms are available in Forms and Applications.