If this helps, here are our regs (Town of Colonie, NY)
190-16. Residence Senior Citizen District regulations.
A.Definitions. As used in this section, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
HANDICAPPED PERSON:
(1)Any adult having an impairment which is expected to be of long-continued and indefinite duration, is a substantial impediment to his or her ability to live independently and is of a nature that such ability could be improved by more suitable housing conditions; or
(2)A person who is developmentally disabled, i.e., if he or she has a disability attributable to mental retardation, cerebral palsy, epilepsy, autism or another neurological condition found by the United States Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare to be closely related to mental retardation or to require treatment similar to that required for mentally retarded individuals, which disability originates before such individual attains age 18 and which constitutes a substantial handicap to such individual.
SENIOR CITIZEN -- A single person who is 55 years of age or over.
SENIOR CITIZEN OR HANDICAPPED FAMILY:
(1)Families of two or more persons, the head of which (or his or her spouse) is 55 years of age or older, or is a handicapped person; or
(2)The surviving member or members of any family described in Subsection (1) of this definition above, living in a Residence Senior Citizen District with the deceased member of the family at the time of his or her death; or
(3)Two or more elderly or handicapped persons living together or one or more such persons living with another person who provides essential care to said elderly or handicapped persons based upon a certification of such by a licensed physician provided by the tenant family or prospective tenant family.
B.Residence Senior Citizen District use regulations: permitted uses. In a Residence Senior Citizen District, no building, premises or part thereof shall be occupied by any person except a senior citizen and/or handicapped person or family as the same terms are defined and/or qualified by the provisions of this chapter. Additionally, in a Residence Senior Citizen District, no building, premises or part thereof shall be erected or altered, except for the purpose of occupancy by senior citizen and/or handicapped persons or families.
C.Residence Senior Citizen District area regulations and special restrictions.
(1)The minimum required plot area for a Residence Senior Citizen District shall be five acres.
(2)The total building area, including accessory buildings, shall not occupy more than 40% of the total lot area. Accessory buildings shall not occupy more than 10% of the total lot area.
(3)The maximum density shall not exceed 16 dwelling units per acre, and the actual maximum density for a Residence Senior Citizen Zoning District shall be set by the Town Board at the time each Residence Senior Citizen District is established, and said maximum density may be less than 16 dwelling units per acre if the surrounding character of the area proposed to be zoned Residence Senior Citizens warrants the same.
(4)The minimum habitable space shall be 525 square feet for apartment units and 750 square feet for single-family attached dwellings. Each dwelling unit shall contain at least one bedroom.
(5)The building height shall not exceed the building height limit of the zoning district designation in effect on the property at the time immediately preceding the establishment of the Residence Senior Citizen District at the particular location.
(6)Buildings or portions thereof shall be set back from property lines a minimum of one foot for every foot of building height, plus one foot for every 10 feet of building length. In no case shall a building be set back less than 25 feet from any property line.
(7)Accessory buildings or portions thereof shall be set back from property lines a minimum of 10 feet, plus one foot for every foot of building height, plus one foot for every 10 feet of building length. In no case shall an accessory building be set back less than 35 feet from any property line.
(8)Buildings must be separated by a minimum of one foot for every two feet of building height. Building heights shall be determined by the taller building. Distance between buildings shall be a minimum of 20 feet.
(9)Driveways and interior roadways shall not be closer than 20 feet to property lines except for entrances and exits.
(10)Parking areas shall not be closer than 15 feet to any building nor closer than 20 feet to any property line. Parking in the front yard may not be closer than 50 feet to the front property line.
(11)On-site parking shall be provided at a rate of not less than one parking space for every unit. However, the Town Board may increase or decrease said parking requirement at the time each Residence Senior Citizen District is established to reflect parking demand reasonably anticipated by the type of senior citizen housing accommodation(s) proposed to be developed.
(12)Curbs, curb cuts, sidewalks, landscaping, lighting, drainage, grading, and other site work shall be as approved by the Planning Board.
(13)Additional site development programs may be directed by the Town Board and/or its designee for any specific site and may be required to be formalized as deed covenants and restrictions.
(14)If after two years from the date of rezoning to a Residence Senior Citizen District a building permit has not been issued for said rezoned parcel, the Town Board may, upon its own motion or upon application from the owner of such subject parcel, rezone said parcel to the previous zoning or to a new zoning category as may be applicable.
(15)No business or commercial establishments shall be permitted unless they are run exclusively for the use of the tenants or unit owners and unless they collectively do not exceed 500 square feet of gross floor area. However, coin-operated vending services, such as laundry machines, are otherwise permitted.
(16)No person, corporation, or association shall cause, allow, permit, or suffer any oversized vehicle registered in their name or operated by them or their agent to be parked in any manner or place upon a public street or in the street right-of-way, except if such vehicle is actively assisting in an emergency, such as a fire or traffic accident, or the vehicle is in the process of being loaded or unloaded.