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New York State Land Use Enabling Acts

Regulations
New York
Unknown
State
Urban | Suburban | Rural
Parallel provisions of New York State’s Town, Village, and General City Law grant local governments powers to zone similar to those granted by the Standard State Zoning Enabling Act (SZEA) promulgated by the U.S. Department of Commerce in the 1920s. New York State encourages, but does not require, local governments to adopt comprehensive plans, and state statutes enumerate 15 topics that may be included in comprehensive plans. Local governments have considerable additional powers to regulate local land use under the home rule provisions of the state Constitution, the Statute of Local Governments, and the Municipal Home Rule Law (MHRL). The MHRL authorizes a local government to adopt regulations for the “protection and enhancement of its physical and visual environment.”