Colonie, NY Building Setbacks & Zoning: Setback Rules (2026)

The Town of Colonie zoning ordinance is Chapter 190 (Zoning and Land Use) of the Town Code. Article IV (Establishment of Zoning Districts and Map) creates districts including Single Family Residence (SFR), Multifamily Residence, Neighborhood Commercial Office Residence (NCOR), Commercial Office Residence (COR), Highway Commercial Office Residence (HCOR), Office Research (OR), Commercial Office (CO), Airport Business Area and Industrial. Article VI (Dimensional Requirements and Density Incentives) sets the per-district minimum lot, yard and height standards, supplemented by Attachment 2 (Dimensional Table) which provides the numerical minimums for principal-structure front, side and rear yards by district. For example, the Residential A District requires a minimum lot frontage of 75 feet and depth of 125 feet (9,375 sq ft minimum lot area). Accessory structures to single-family or two-family dwellings located in the rear yard and less than 16 feet in height may be erected with a 5-foot setback from a rear or side lot line, and may occupy up to 40% of the rear yard. In OR, CO, NCOR, COR, HCOR, Airport Business and Industrial Districts more than 300 feet deep from the front lot line, no portion of a commercial or mixed-use building may be built within 100 feet, and no parking, loading or storage area within 50 feet, of the zone boundary line of any Single Family or Multifamily Residence District. Variances are heard by the Zoning Board of Appeals under NY Town Law §267-b, which requires the area-variance balancing test.