The City of Utica is undergoing a Zoning Ordinance update.

This chapter is intended to promote the health, safety and general welfare of the public and to be a guide for the orderly development of the City.

 To accomplish these ends, this chapter is designed:

1. To create and maintain conditions under which people and their environment can exist in productive and enjoyable harmony while fulfilling the social, economic and other requirements of present and future generations;
2. Facilitate the creation of a convenient, attractive and harmonious community;
3. To provide for City growth that is consonant with the efficient and economic use of public funds and environmental resources;
4. To recognize the need for housing, industry and business in the City's future growth;
5. To provide residential areas with healthy surroundings for family life;
6. To protect against destruction of or encroachment upon historic and scenic areas;
7. To encourage economic development activities that provide desirable employment and a broad tax base;
8. To encourage the preservation of floodplain areas, stream valleys, steep slopes, lands of natural beauty, scenic vistas, and other similar areas and to ensure that development in such area is well controlled;
9. To protect against the following: overcrowding of land; undue intensity of noise; air and water pollution; undue density of population in relation to available community facilities; obstruction of light and air; danger and congestion in travel and transportation and loss of life, health, or property from fire, flood or other dangers;
10. To promote housing of such type, size and cost as will allow City residents of every economic condition to reside in safe, sanitary dwelling units;
11. To encourage growth and development in accord with the City of Utica Master Plan;
12. To promote opportunities for sustainable design and smart growth so as to become a more economically viable and sustainable community.

 In 2016, a Rust2Green (R2G) Cornell University-led study “An Adaptive Approach and Analysis to Sustainability Transform Utica's Urban Core” and a 2016 LEED-ND study were completed focused on a 47-acre target area in the center of the City. The revised City of Utica Zoning Code, along with the R2G studies, will help inform the development of a 2019 NYS-funded Sustainability Plan initiative. The goal is to help the City further identify both long and short-term strategies and policy changes necessary to help improve walkability, ensure excellence in building design, re-use and preserve existing structures, create well-defined and visually rich public spaces, add greenspace and implement other sustainability measures, like geothermal.  The study will also help simplify sustainability and examine ways to incentivize appropriate development and “green” residences, businesses, and government to support a quality of life that attracts new investors, entrepreneurs, workers and residents. 

Please revisit this page for new and upcoming information

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