Irondequoit, NY Environmental Rules: Boat Dock Permits (2026)

Chapter 149, the Irondequoit Bay Harbor Management law, covers all structures and activities on the Bay inside the Town's corporate limits and out to 1,500 feet from shore as shown on the official Water Surface Use Map. Within that area, § 149-9D treats every dock as an accessory structure that needs a principal use on the site. Review of a dock application weighs the mapped area, proximity to adjacent property lines, unique environmental features, water depth and landside support, and dredging for installation is discouraged except in harbor areas or preexisting nonconforming conditions. The authorized Town official, defined to include the Harbormaster, Building Inspector, Code Compliance Officer and Town Clerk, inspects each dock on completion and keeps an inventory of all docks.

Size limits come from § 149-8. In Resource Protection Areas each parcel gets a maximum of one dock or one mooring, and a dock cannot extend more than 50 feet offshore or exceed 200 square feet. Near Shore Areas, which extend 300 feet from shore, give single-family parcels the same one dock or one mooring and the same 50 foot and 200 square foot caps. Under § 149-7E no boat can be docked, hoisted or moored within 10 feet of an adjoining property line, and § 149-9F allows no new floats or rafts on the Bay.

Moorings follow § 149-9E. A private mooring needs a Town permit plus applicable NYSDEC and USACE permits, the tackle and anchor are inspected before setting, and all private moorings get a third-party inspection every three years at the owner's cost. Leasing or rental of private moorings is prohibited. Under § 149-8, mooring buoys are white with a blue stripe and no more than 32 inches in diameter, in water at least eight feet and no more than 30 feet deep.

A permit denial or revocation can be appealed to the Zoning Board of Appeals within 30 calendar days of receipt of the notice, filed through the authorized Town official on a form from the Town Clerk.