We read this municipality’s code, but parts of our finding still need confirming. Treat it as a starting point and confirm with the code office.
The village lets a home add a small apartment that shares the main kitchen. A separate cottage or a unit with its own kitchen is not covered.
The code lists an accessory apartment as an allowed use, but in a limited form or with few written standards.
Whether any of this applies to your lot depends on your zoning district and your property.
The rules we found
| What the code says | Shared-kitchen apartment only |
|---|---|
| Detached (backyard) unit | Not addressed |
| Inside or attached | An 'accessory apartment unit' is a listed accessory use in R-1-20, but by definition it shares the main home's kitchen |
| Size limit | No more than 50% of the main unit and no more than 750 sq ft |
| Bedrooms | Not stated |
| Owner must live on site | Not stated |
| How approval works | Listed as a customary accessory use; the permit steps were not confirmed |
| Other rules | Because the apartment shares the main home's kitchen, it isn't a fully separate ADU. |
Code section: §135-13 definition 'Dwelling, accessory apartment unit'; §135-62C(2) R-1-20 accessory uses
What the size rule means for your house
With a 1,600 sq ft house, the largest ADU this rule allows is about 750 sq ft.
sq ft
Rounded down to the nearest 10 sq ft. Towns measure differently (some count only finished living space, some leave out the garage), so ask the code office how it measures yours.
What we’re still confirming
- Permit process for an accessory apartment unit
- Whether any district allows a unit with its own kitchen
Before you spend money on drawings
- Confirm the Village of Bloomfield governs your lot: it should be the municipality on your property tax bill.
- Find your zoning district on the municipal zoning map; the rules above can differ by district.
- Call or write the code office with your address and what you’re picturing, and ask for the answer and the code section in writing.
- On septic or a well? Ask the NYS Department of Health’s Geneva District Office (315-789-3030) whether the system can serve an extra bedroom. On public sewer? Ask your sewer district.
Our guides explain the approval process, site and utility checks and what an ADU costs.
Sources
General information, not legal advice. The Village of Bloomfield decides what can be built on your property.