Planning Development Review

Development Review Online

September 9, 2022 - The Monroe County Planning Team is glad to announce that we have launched an Online Review Area Map to help municipalities and applicants determine whether a location potentially falls within Monroe County development review areas. See the Notice and How to Use this Online Map HERE

Effective Thursday, July 1, 2021, the DRC online system becomes the primary record keeping system of all documents related to development review referrals. These documents include, but are not limited to, project information, studies, images, maps, engineering/architectural drawings, county review responses, and municipal final actions. The documents uploaded by all users through the online portal must be in compliance with the current New York State Archives Digital Imaging Guidelines (2019).

All users must agree to the Monroe County Development Review Online Database User Agreement before uploading any documents. 

As of June 15, 2020, Monroe County is asking all Municipalities, Applicants, and their Agents to submit Development Referrals via an online portal. The DRC Online Portal will allow you to fill out and upload project documents related to development review referrals (GML Sect. 239 Referrals). The online application will make the Development Review Process quicker for all parties involved and reduce the number of copies the municipality or applicant need to be submitted to Monroe County. Starting Monday, June 15, 2020, applicants and municipalities should use the online form to upload project information and supporting files through the Development Review Online Portal.

Development Review Online

To Submit a DRC to Monroe County, the municipality or applicant need to follow the steps below:

Go to the Development Review Online (DRC) website:

  • Step 1: Create a new account (first time only) or login to an existing account to add a new referral;
  • Step 2: Follow the online form to fill in all required information, please enter “NA” or “0” for not applicable fields; (we are using email for all the communication, so please make sure you provide correct email addresses)
  • Step 3: Upload project plan maps and other supporting documents;
  • Step 4: Save Changes;
  • Step 5: Submit the application, which will notify the municipality to certify the application; (This is located on top of the form)
  • Step 6: If a project has frontage on Monroe County road AND/OR might impact the County Right of Way, Monroe County Department of Transportation requires ONE (1) hard copy of your entire application including the online referral form AND all supporting documents.  Please mail/deliver the required documents to Monroe County Department of Transportation within a week. If you are not sure, please call MCDOT, John Raymond at 585-753-7711. (Please coordinate with the municipality to decide who will send out the hard copies).

Note: If you are an applicant or applicant agent, who would like to submit the referral directly to County Planning through the online portal, please communicate the development review referral with the municipal officer(s) before and after you submit the referral online.

Development Review Guide:

Please use the below link to access the Development Review Guide which will provide you more information about the Development Review Process required by New York State General Municipal Law §239-l, m & n. This law, commonly referred to as GML §239, was established to encourage and coordinate inter-community and county-wide planning and zoning decisions between local municipalities and county planning. 

Development Review Guide (PDF)

This Guide has three components, which describe:

  • What types of projects need to be referred to County Planning
  • How to submit Development Review Referrals?
  • How County Planning processes and reviews these projects?

Resource Maps:

Appendices:

Additional Forms:

Development Review Contact:

DRC Manager
Monroe County Department of Planning and Development
50 West Main Street, Suite 1150
Rochester, NY 14614
585 753-2000
[email protected]

Development Review Online Guides

Online Review Area Map

The Monroe County Planning Team is glad to announce that we have launched an Online Review Area Map to help municipalities and applicants determine whether a location potentially falls within Monroe County development review areas.

Online Review Area Map

See below for the step-by-step instructions for this online map and feel free to share this link with applicants/applicant agents. Please note that this online review map only checks for location-based factors that trigger the Development Review requirement. If the location checking is different from local knowledge, you should send the referral to us to determine the impact or contact County Planning to confirm. For the comprehensive list of proposed projects that require county development review, please consult the Monroe County Development Review Guide and NYS Municipal Law 239. 

GML Sect. 239 §239-l, m & n, Referral of Proposed Planning and Zoning Actions, in brief: 

Under NYS General Municipal Law 239-m and n, municipalities shall refer certain proposed planning and zoning actions, including subdivisions, to the county planning agency. Planning and zoning actions are defined as:

  1. adoption or amendment of a comprehensive plan pursuant to section two hundred seventy-two-a of the town law, section 7-722 of the village law or section twenty-eight-a of the general city law; 
  2. adoption or amendment of a zoning ordinance or local law;
  3. issuance of special use permits;
  4. approval of site plans;
  5. granting of use or area variances;
  6. other authorizations which a referring body may issue under the  provisions of any zoning ordinance or local law.

The above planning and zoning actions that apply to real property within five hundred feet of the following shall be referred to Monroe County Planning & Development: 

  1. the boundary of any city, village or town; or
  2. the boundary of any existing or proposed county or state park or any other recreation area; or
  3. the right-of-way of any existing or proposed county or state parkway, thruway, expressway, road or highway; or
  4. the  existing or proposed right-of-way of any stream or drainage channel owned by the county or for which the county has established channel lines; or
  5. the  existing or proposed boundary of any county or state owned land on which a public building or institution is situated; or
  6. the boundary of a farm operation located in an agricultural district, as defined by article twenty-five-AA of the agriculture and markets law, except this subparagraph shall not apply to the granting of area variances.

For further information about what planning and zoning actions are referred to Monroe County Planning & Development please review General Municipal Law 239-m and -n or contact Monroe County Planning & Development's Planning Division via [email protected]. 

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