Paterson Zoning Intelligence
Zoning, permitted uses, and development potential for Paterson, New Jersey. 21 districts with their permitted uses and building controls.
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Zoning districts are shown at zoom 15 and closer. Zoom out for the Paterson city outline and street context.
How is Paterson zoned?
Paterson regulates land through 21 zoning districts, and the redevelopment plans are organised by ward. Districts cover the 1st Ward at roughly 286 acres, the 4th Ward at about 237 and the 5th Ward at roughly 216, with a further numbered redevelopment plan area at about 249.
Organising redevelopment by ward rather than by project site is unusual, and it means these are area-wide frameworks covering whole parts of the city rather than individual parcels. Together the four cover nearly a thousand acres.
The Great Falls Historic District at roughly 158 acres is the city's defining place. Paterson's falls and the mill district around them are a national historical park, and zoning that fabric as its own district recognises a planning problem unlike any other in the city.
A Garret Heights district covers roughly 31 acres, naming a specific neighborhood.
The residential districts are numbered 1 through 4 and named simply Residential, with R-2 the largest at roughly 1,212 acres. A high medium density mixed use district covers roughly four acres.
Business runs four numbered districts covering roughly 435 acres between them, and industrial three districts covering about 612.
A Mixed Use district covers roughly 267 acres and a Hospital district about 25. This is pre-development intelligence, not legal advice - verify with the local planning department before acquisition.
Paterson, New Jersey Zoning Districts: What Do They Mean?
Zoning districts are areas regulated by specific laws that determine land use, building types, and development rules. Each district below shows its zone type. Paterson's ordinance does not state permitted uses as citywide flags, so they are read from each district's own table rather than summarised here.
| Zone Code | Zone Type | Area |
|---|---|---|
R-2 Residential | - | 1,212 ac |
R-1 Residential | - | 1,085.3 ac |
R-3 Residential | - | 549.2 ac |
I-1 Industrial | - | 398.4 ac |
What are the building controls in Paterson?
Setback, height, FAR, lot area, and density controls enforced across Paterson zoning districts.
- Building height
- Coverage
- Density
- FAR
- Front setback
- Lot
- Lot width
- Multi
- Pervious
- Rear setback
- Side setback
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Paterson zoning: frequently asked questions
- How are Paterson's redevelopment plans organised?
- By ward. Districts cover the 1st Ward at roughly 286 acres, the 4th Ward at about 237 and the 5th Ward at roughly 216, with a further numbered plan area at about 249. These are area-wide frameworks rather than individual sites.
- What is the Great Falls Historic District?
- A district covering roughly 158 acres around the city's falls and mill fabric, which form a national historical park. Zoning it separately recognises a planning problem unlike any other in the city.
- What is the Garret Heights district?
- A district covering roughly 31 acres naming a specific neighborhood, applying its own standards rather than the general residential designations around it.
- How are residential districts named?
- Simply as Residential, numbered 1 through 4, with R-2 the largest at roughly 1,212 acres and R-1 second at about 1,085. The number carries all the information.
- How much industrial land is there?
- Three industrial districts cover roughly 612 acres between them, with the largest at about 398 acres. That is modest relative to the residential and redevelopment classifications.
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Book a demo →Zoning data is pre-development intelligence, not legal advice. Verify with the Paterson planning department before acquisition or design.