Ulster County, NY Building Setbacks & Zoning: Structure Height Limits (2026)

Building heights are set by each municipality's zoning code. Town of New Paltz §140-32: 35 ft / 2.5 stories in residential; 45 ft in commercial. City of Kingston §405-32: 35 ft in R-1, 40 ft R-2, 60 ft downtown business. Kingston Stockade Historic District (designated 1975) enforces additional height and design review via the Heritage Area Commission; new construction typically capped at 30 ft to preserve 17th-century Dutch streetscape. Town of Saugerties §245-26: 35 ft residential, 45 ft commercial. Town of Gardiner §220-28: 35 ft residential with ridgeline overlay capping heights on mapped Shawangunk Ridge ridgelines to below skyline. Town of Rochester §140-36 Ridgeline Protection Overlay restricts structures exceeding 15 ft above natural grade within mapped scenic areas. Town of Woodstock §260-32 limits to 35 ft. Accessory structures (garages, sheds, barns) typically limited to 15-20 ft (New Paltz 18 ft, Kingston 15 ft, Woodstock 20 ft). Chimneys, antennas, church steeples, silos, and water tanks are typically exempt from height limits if 10+ ft from lot lines. Telecommunications towers fall under separate sections with special permit review. Variance to exceed height requires Area Variance from ZBA under Town Law §267-b.