Clay, NY Home Business: Customer Traffic Restrictions (2026)

Town of Clay Code § 230-27I(2)(a)[16] specifically governs home occupations operated out of multifamily dwellings. The unit hosting the business must have its own direct pedestrian access to the outside of the structure, and the home occupation cannot be run in a way that requires a customer or client to pass through a shared or common corridor to reach it. The Zoning Board of Appeals, which approves every home occupation as a special permit under § 230-27, may impose additional requirements on a multifamily home occupation beyond the baseline standard, specifically for the protection of other residents in the building.

That authority sits alongside the code's general limits on customer-facing activity for any home occupation: the special permit sets a fixed maximum number of parking spaces under § 230-27I(2)(a)[12], operating hours are capped at 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. under [13], and the ZBA may separately limit the number and location of individuals or students who receive group services or instruction on site under [15]. Together these standards keep client and customer traffic contained to the permitted unit's own entrance and parking allotment rather than spilling into shared building space used by neighbors who are not part of the business.