Town of Seward Draft Agriculture and Farmland ... - Schoharie County

Conversion Pressure
Housing development in the Town began to increase significantly during the 1970s, a decade
during which 108 new houses were constructed. During the 1980s another 103 houses were built.
By 1990 there were 662 houses in the Town of Seward. According to the Schoharie County
Agriculture and Farmland Protection Plan 44 of these were second homes. The county plan states
that between 1989 and 1993 26 single family building permits were issued and between 1989
and 1997 674 real property transfers occurred.
According to the U.S. Census, in the year 2000 there were 685 houses in the Town of Seward, an
increase of only 3 percent since 1990.
Between 2001 and 2011 another 83 permits for privately-owned residential buildings have been
issued. If all of these construction projects were completed the number of houses in Seward is
now 768, an increase of 12 percent since the year 2000.
Figure 2: Building Permits
Town of Seward
Building Permits
Residential
Year
Permits
2011 2
2010 4
2009 6
2008 7
2007 4
2006 14
2005 10
2004 6
2003 6
2002 12
2001 12
Total 83
Source: census.gov [Annual New Privately-Owned Residential Building Permits
Seward town, New York (Schoharie County - 095)]
The Town of Seward is an approximately one-hour drive from the Greater Capital Region and
two-and-a-half hours from New York City, the largest city in the United States. The town is in
close proximity to the Village of Cobleskill, which is home to over 4,500 people as well as the
State University of New York at Cobleskill (SUNY/Cobleskill).
Town of Seward Agricultural and Farmland Protection Plan 21