The Code Official assists in following the NYS building codes to ensure the Health, Safety and Resilience of the Built Environment for all residents of Preble.
Rick Fritz - Code Official and Zoning Officer
Phone: 607-591-9898
Preble Code Official is available at the Town Hall on Mondays from 1-3 pm to help with applications. Building permits, certificates of occupancy, zoning information are among the services available from the Code office.
The Building Process: If you are planning to build to build in the Town of Preble you'll first need to get approval from the Cortland Count Health Department. Once have approval from the Health Dept:
- Download a Building Premit Application and follow the instructions.
- Bring your completed application to Town Clerk/Code Official with copy of survey/tax map showing the parcel....
- Bring a drawing of what will be built. A professionally rendered set of drawings may be needed for the project.
- Once approved, (you'll be notified by code official) then come to Preble Town Hall and submit it to the Preble Code Official. At that point, the cost of the permit will be determined and you will pay for the permit in person.
- Start building!
Preble follows all NYS Buiding Standards and Codes.

The Preble Town Board meets the 2nd Monday of each month at 7 pm in the Town Hall, 1968 Preble Road.
Supervisor: James Doring
Deputy Supervisor: Jim Harris
Town Board:
- Dave Morse
- David Pitman
- Mike Griep
Local Laws Pertiaining to the Town Board
- Local Law 1
- Local Law 1 Appendix
- Local Law 1 Letter to Agencies
- Full Environmental Assessment Form for 2014 Local Law 1 on zoning change
- Environmental Assessment Form Schedule 1 for 2014 Local Law 1 on zoning change
The Preble Planning Board meets the 4th Wednesday of each month at 7 pm at the Preble Town Hall, 1968 Preble Road.
The November 2023 meeting will be November 15 and the December 2023 meeting is cancelled.
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DRAFT COMPREHENSIVE PLAN
The draft plan dated November 15, 2023, is available for review here: Draft Plan
Statement regarding the Proposed draft revised Comprehensive Plan dated November 15, 2023
The purpose and general goals of this draft revised Comprehensive Plan remain the same as the initial Plan adopted in 1994. The purpose is to adequately provide for inevitable changes and growth while retaining the overall rural character of the Town. The general goals seek to:
- Protect the Cortland Valley Sole Source Aquifer.
- Expand existing areas of commercial development.
- Avoid fragmented growth (strip development).
- Provide gradual increase of development densities as one moves towards established growth centers.
- Protect the Town's lakes.
- Preserve the Town’s prime agricultural land.
In response to the Plan itself and the Town Board, the Planning Board has made draft changes to the Plan to keep it responsive and up-to-date with current Town trends. The draft updated Comprehensive Plan has identified the following needs.
1. Establish a mixed-use Hamlet Area within the central R1 residential area of the Town.
2. Consider establishing restrictions and/or regulations for short-term rental of residences within all land-use areas permitting residential use, especially the R1L districts.
3. Consider updating Preble subdivision regulations using Conservation Subdivision Design concepts that help to preserve desirable rural characteristics in communities with possible new residential development pressures.
4. Due to the increased scale of dairy farming in Preble:
a. Promote best agricultural practices required by other governmental agencies to ensure that agricultural land use is protective of the Cortland Valley Sole Source Aquifer and public and private drinking water wells in Preble.
b. Promote observance of existing speed limits through roads in Preble’s residential districts to ensure safety of residents and minimize noise levels.
c. Consider lowering speed limits on certain Preble residential district roads having residences on both sides of the road.
5. Consider restrictions and/or regulations concerning commercial solar arrays to prevent the significant loss of Preble’s prime agricultural land to this use.
6. Promote public awareness of Preble’s Aquifer Protection District Ordinance.
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The following reference material for the draft comprehensive plan was prepared by Planning Board member Peter McClure:
1. Conservation Subdivision Design is a design tool for preserving rural-agrarian character of a community as land is subdivided for development. It encourages traditional neighborhood development patterns rather than suburban sprawl and preserves environmentally valuable parts of the landscape within new subdivisions. More information on implementing Conservation Subdivision Design in local subdivision regulations is available through the CNY Regional Planning and Development Board. Jeanie Gleisner, Program Manager,
Also the following link provides more information on Conservation Subdivision Design: : https://snowfallatnight.wixsite.com/design/
2. I don't have specific weblinks to required best practices for spreading of fertilizers, pesticides and manure. This excerpt from the draft Plan is the best that I can do right now. "The Town recognizes the importance of farm operations following best farming practices recommended by the N.Y. State Department of Conservation (DEC) (e.g., for spreading fertilizers, pesticides and manure) and other governmental agencies (e.g., U.S. Department of Agriculture and the N.Y. State Department of Agriculture and Markets) to ensure that agricultural land-use continues to support the protection of the primary aquifer underlying the Preble Valley, private residence drinking water wells and public water supplies (e.g., for restaurants, trailer parks). These agricultural practices recommended by other governmental agencies are expected to prevent serious threat to a safe and adequate water supply serving Preble and other areas of the county."
3. Sections 560, 561, 562, 563.564. 565. 566. 567. 568. 569 of the current Town of Preble Zoning Ordinance describe the Aquifer Protection District , Permitted Uses, Non-Conforming Practices, Prohibioted Uses and Activities, Restricted Uses and Activities, and Special Permits Required.
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Planning Board:
Chair: Maureen Knapp
Peter McClure
Amy Bertini
Jim McGee
Linda Bocian
Donald Armstrong, Attorney
Sue Wright, Secretary
Preble Zoning Board of Appeals has cancelled its October 5, 2023, monthly meeting as there is no agenda.
The Preble Zoning Board of Appeals meets the 1st Thursday of each month at 7:30 pm at the Preble Town Hall, 1968 Preble Road.
LEGAL NOTICES
- Local Law 1
- Local Law 1 Appendix
- Local Law 1 Letter to Agencies
- Full Environmental Assessment Form for 2014 Local Law 1 on zoning change
- Environmental Assessment Form Schedule 1 for 2014 Local Law 1 on zoning change
Zoning Board of Appeals:
- Daniel O'Shea, Chairman
- Donald Armstrong, Attorney
- Sue Wright, Secretary
- Amy Bertini
- Jay Currie
- Nancy Dalley
- Dean Hartnett
Highway Superintendent: Jeffrey Griswold
Equipment Operator: Charlie Reagan
Equipment Operator: Kevin Baldwin
Plus one seasonal employee each summer
The Town of Preble maintains 25.4 centerline miles of roads. Sixteen miles of the 25.4 are plowed, making up 34 plowing segments. We also plow school bus pull-offs, turnarounds, the Fire Station and the Town Hall. The average route time is 2 hrs. 45 minutes.
Summer duties include: culvert replacement/ installation, ditch cleaning, road material hauling and placement (gravel, pavement), oil and stone treatments, cutting brush, mowing roadsides along with maintaining 5 abandoned cemeteries. We also provide the resources for the annual “Town Clean-Up”.
The Highway operation moved into a new building in January of 2018 at 6684 Rt. 281 next to the salt shed. All
equipment is now stored indoors. All 6 bays have in-floor hydronic heating with propane boilers. The building was paid for with money saved and a State grant from Senator Jim Seward.
Please feel free to call the highway garage at 607-749-2710 with any questions.