Southampton, NY Animal Ordinances: Veterinary Clinic Zoning (2026)

Southampton's Zoning Code does not list a veterinarian, veterinary hospital or kennel as a permitted, by-right use in any district; instead, § 330-150 places it among the special exception uses governed by Article XVII, which the Zoning Code delegates to the Planning Board under § 330-120. That means an applicant must first go through the special exception process at §§ 330-120 through 330-122: a public hearing after notice published at least 10 days in advance, an on-site notice sign facing every public street the parcel abuts, and certified mail to abutting and directly opposite property owners, all before the Planning Board can act.

For the veterinary use itself, § 330-150 imposes three specific standards on top of the general special exception findings. First, adjacent properties must be adequately protected from noise, odors and unsightly appearance, giving the Planning Board room to require screening, buffers, soundproofing or operational limits as conditions of approval. Second, every building, structure and accessory use area connected with the practice, except off-street parking, must be set back at least 50 feet from any property line, a much deeper setback than the ordinary residential yard requirements.

Third, any animal cadavers and other contaminated materials generated by the practice must be disposed of under applicable Town, county and state regulations, which brings in Suffolk County Health Department and state DEC rules for medical and biological waste. A Planning Board special exception authorization for a veterinary use expires if a building permit is not applied for within 90 days, under § 330-121E, though the Board can grant additional 90-day extensions. Violating any condition the Board attaches to the approval, such as a required buffer or noise limit, is itself deemed a Zoning Code violation under § 330-121G, punishable under § 330-186.