Greenburgh approves one-year backyard housing pilot for 15 homes

Greenburgh turned its backyard-housing debate into a live test on April 8, when the Town Board unanimously adopted a local law creating a one-year accessory dwelling unit pilot. The real gatekeeper is the cap: only the first 15 applicants with complete applications will be eligible, so the town is not opening ADUs broadly but running a tightly controlled experiment.

The timing matters for homeowners watching whether small backyard homes can move from zoning theory to actual permits. Greenburgh said it would file the law with New York State on April 9, with application materials and related documents available soon after. That gives prospective applicants a short runway to get their paperwork in order before the first 15 spots are gone.

The approval followed a long municipal process. Greenburgh said the policy took more than two years to develop and went through countless revisions. The Town of Greenburgh Planning Board discussed the zoning text amendment in five work sessions in early 2024 and gave a positive recommendation on March 6, 2024. The Town Board then held public hearings on September 25 and December 11, 2024; February 12 and 26, June 25, September 10, October 22 and December 10, 2025; and March 25, 2026 before final adoption. On April 8, the town also made a negative SEQRA declaration after coordinated review with the Planning Board, Westchester County, adjacent and surrounding municipalities, and fire districts.

The town’s findings say the goal is to create more diversity in the housing stock with a minimal increase in density, provide additional housing opportunities, provide economic support to existing residents, and better facilitate aging in place. Greenburgh has also said ADUs could serve single people, couples, relatives of existing families, younger residents, older residents and people looking for more affordable options. Earlier town messaging pointed to New York State grants of up to $125,000 for homeowners who build ADUs, a sign that the pilot sits inside a broader housing push, not just a local zoning tweak.

The rules also show how carefully the town is calibrating the program. Westchester County’s January 16, 2024 review said the proposal would allow ADUs in single-family residential zones on lots of 10,000 square feet and over, as a special permit use, with a limit of two bedrooms, one off-street parking space per bedroom and a minimum one-year lease. County planners supported the concept but recommended dropping the extra parking requirement and easing the lease term. That tension, between access and restriction, is what makes Greenburgh’s pilot a test case for other suburbs trying to add backyard homes without triggering a neighborhood backlash.