Source: https://ecode360.com/10555069
Timestamp: 2020-05-26 21:22:24
Document Index: 419850458

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 75', '§ 75', '§ 75', '§ 75', '§ 75', '§ 75', '§ 75', '§ 75', '§ 75', '§ 75', '§ 75', '§ 75', '§ 75', '§ 75', '§ 75', '§ 75', '§ 75', '§ 75', '§ 75', '§ 75']

Town of Cornwall, NY Clearing and Grading
§ 75-2 Compliance required.
§ 75-3 Greater restrictions to control.
§ 75-5 Activities requiring permit.
§ 75-6 Activities exempt from permit requirements.
§ 75-7 Permit application review; issuance and compliance procedures.
§ 75-8 Permit application materials.
§ 75-9 Standards for granting permit.
§ 75-10 Site requirements.
§ 75-11 Performance guaranty.
§ 75-12 Appeals.
§ 75-13 Inspections and enforcement; penalties for offenses.
Chapter 75 Clearing and Grading
[HISTORY: Adopted by the Town Board of the Town of Cornwall 12-16-2002 by L.L. No. 7-2002. Amendments noted where applicable.]
It is the purpose of this chapter to protect the public health, safety and welfare in the Town of Cornwall by providing for the proper use of land and regulating timber harvesting, site preparation, construction activities and other activities impacting on the land, including excavation, filling, grading and clearing, so as to protect the natural environment, prevent the indiscriminate and excessive cutting of trees and natural vegetation and prevent problems related to erosion, sediment or drainage. In relation to this purpose, this chapter is intended to:
Protect the Town and other governmental bodies.from having to undertake, at public expense, programs of repairing roads and other public facilities and of providing flood protection facilities.
Where this chapter imposes greater restrictions or requirements than are imposed by the provision of any law, ordinance, including Chapter 158, Zoning, regulation or private agreement, this chapter shall control. Where greater restrictions or requirements are imposed by any law, ordinance, including Chapter 158, Zoning, regulation or private agreement than are imposed by this chapter, such greater restrictions or requirements shall control.
All activities directly related to the growing or raising of crops or livestock for the sale of agricultural produce and dairy and meat products, including horticultural and fruit operations.
Any activity which removes or significantly disturbs living trees, brush, grass or any other kind of vegetation, excepting the products of agricultural operations, in an area of any size.
Any area subject to submersion by water by reason of overflow, flood or storm or any area which has been mapped as such by the County Soil and Water Conservation District or the Federal Emergency Management Agency, unless the applicant's engineer can demonstrate to the Town Engineer's satisfaction that said mapped area is not in fact subject to submersion.
The alteration of the surface or subsurface conditions of land, lakes, ponds or watercourses by excavation or filling to a depth greater than six inches.
The right-of-way of any street providing legal access to a parcel of land as depicted on a plot or site plan approved by the Planning Board and dedicated to the Town.
Forestry operations in commercial and noncommercial stands of trees designated to provide more growing room for better trees by the removal of poor quality, low vigor, injured, diseased or excessively crowded trees.
A grant of relief from the requirements of this chapter which permits site preparation in a manner that would otherwise be prohibited by this chapter.
Any natural or artificial stream, river, creek, channel, canal, conduit, culvert, drainageway, gully, ravine or wash in which water flows in a definite direction or course, either continuously or intermittently, and which-has a definite channel, bed and banks.
Areas of aquatic or semiaquatic vegetation or any areas which have been mapped as such by the County Soil and Water Conservation District or the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation under the Freshwater Wetlands Act.
None of the following activities shall be commenced until a permit has been issued under the provisions of this chapter where the parameters as set forth under the definitions of § 75-4 are met or exceeded:
Site preparation within wetlands or within a one-hundred-foot buffer strip of any wetland.
Activities not meeting the criteria in § 75-5.
Correcting hazards representing an imminent- threat to life or property.
Excavation or filling which affects less than 400 cubic yards of material within any parcel or any one subdivision in receipt of preliminary or final approval, except where said excavation or filling occurs within wetlands, within a one-hundred-foot buffer strip of a wetland or within the one-hundred-year floodplain of any watercourse or within a critical environmental area.
Clearing or grading which affects less than 5,000 square feet of contiguous ground surface, or clearing or grading of areas which combined total less than 10,000 square feet on any individual parcel, except where such clearing or grading takes place within the one-hundred-year floodplain of any watercourse, within wetlands or within a two-hundred-foot distance of any wetland or watercourse, or within a critical environmental area or within 200 feet of a critical environmental area.
[Amended 5-13-2013 by L.L. No. 6-2013]
Activities performed in conjunction with the erection, structural alteration or movement of a structure or building for which a building permit is granted following the effective date of this chapter, so long as said activities are not commenced until after the grant of a permit/approval and so long as the application for said activities has been reviewed for conformance with this chapter and approval has been conditioned upon compliance with the standards set forth in § 75-9, and further provided that the activities shall be subject to and not exempt from the provisions for inspections, enforcement, penalties and revocations set forth in § 75-13.
Activities performed in conjunction with site plan approvals and subdivision approvals granted by the Planning Board following the effective date of this chapter, so long as said activities are not commenced until after the grant of a permit/approval and so long as the application for said activities has been reviewed for conformance with this chapter and approval has been conditioned upon compliance with the standards set forth in § 75-9 and further provided that the activities shall be subject to and not exempt from the provisions for inspections, enforcement, penalties and revocations set forth in § 75-13.
Before any activity requiring a permit under § 75-5 of this chapter is commenced, two copies of a permit application shall have been filed with the authorized official and this application shall have been approved and a permit shall have been granted pursuant to the provisions of this chapter.
Simultaneously with filing an application for a permit, the applicant(s) shall pay to the Town a fee in such amount as the Town Board may set by resolution and, further, shall mail a copy of the application to the owners of any adjoining property by certified mail, return receipt requested.
The authorized official shall have the authority to grant or deny permits for all activities subject to this chapter. The authorized official, however, shall not grant a permit for the following activities without approval by the Town Planning Board, to which he shall refer such applications, said Board acting with recommendations from the authorized official, Town Engineer, Building Inspector and Superintendent of Highways, who shall receive copies of the application:
Clearing which affects more than one acre of ground surface or timber harvesting which affects more than one acre of ground surface within any parcel or any one subdivision, excluding proposed public roads.
Site preparation within wetlands, within a one-hundred-foot buffer strip of a wetland or within a critical environmental area which affects more than 20,000 square feet of ground surface or 400 cubic yards of material.
The authorized official, Town Engineer, Building Inspector and Superintendent of Highways, when appropriate, shall submit respective recommendations on the erosion control plan. The applicant shall pay all fees charged by the Orange County Soil and Water Conservation District for its review of and recommendations on the erosion control plan. The applicant shall pay all fees charged by the Orange County Soil and Water Conservation District for its technical review.
The Town Planning Board may, upon its discretion, conduct public hearings which may be held in conjunction with hearings held during the environmental review or the preliminary review process on any permit applications and shall conduct public hearings which may also be held in conjunction with hearings held during the environmental review or preliminary review process on permits for the following activities, which hearings shall be fixed at a reasonable time and shall be given notice by the official newspaper of the Town at least 10 days prior to the date thereof:
Site preparation within the one-hundred-year floodplain of any watercourse which affects more than one acre of ground surface or 1,500 cubic yards of material.
The authorized official shall grant or deny all permits within 60 days of the date of filing of the application thereof unless the applicant and the authorized official consent to a time extension.
In granting a permit, the authorized official shall fix a reasonable time limit for the termination of the permit and may attach any conditions which he or the Planning Board deems necessary, including any performance guaranty, to assure compliance with the provisions of this chapter. The permit shall not exceed one year in duration.
It shall be the responsibility of the authorized official to inspect sites as frequently as necessary to assure compliance with the terms of approved permits and the provisions of this chapter and to submit written notification of any violations of these terms or provisions to the Chairman of the Town Planning Board.
Name, address and phone number of the property owner and section(s), block(s) and lot number(s) of the proposed site.
Documentation regarding permit status with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, and where applicable the Army Corps of Engineers, prior to the issuance of a permit. Any New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and Army Corps of Engineers permit required must be in effect prior to the Town's issuing a permit.
Plans must show the type of vegetation to be destroyed by the proposed activities along with the planned disposition of the destroyed material.
A plan showing all existing and proposed contour lines, amount and nature of fill to be placed or displaced, all vegetation areas on the site, including areas of grass and cropland, areas of brush, wooded areas and an estimate of their average diameter at breast height of the trees within wooded areas, areas proposed to be cleared, filled or graded, the nature of the vegetation affected and road access to the site.
The final contour of the site in intervals of no greater than two feet.
The control of erosion and sediment shall be a continuous process undertaken as necessity prior to, during and after site preparation and construction.
Revegetation activities shall avoid the planting of trees with the characteristics of willows and Lombardi poplars within 75 feet of existing or proposed public water or sewer mains or drains.
Existing hills, trees and ground cover fronting along adjacent property and watercourses shall be preserved, maintained or supplemented by selective cutting, transplanting and the addition of new trees, shrubs and other ground cover for the purpose of providing a buffer when one is required by Chapter 158, Zoning, or elsewhere in the Town's Code.
There shall be provided where necessary to minimize erosion and sediment such measures as benches, berms, terraces, diversions and sediment debris and retention basins.
Timber harvesting for a commercial purpose and, when feasible, other site preparation activity shall be avoided within 50 feet of a stream, river, creek, gully or ravine, and all clearing or other debris shall be removed from watercourses.
Site preparation activities shall be conducted only between the hours of 7:30 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. when within 1,500 feet of any residence. No site preparation activity shall be conducted on Sundays or public holidays without express consent with the permit.
After the approval of the application and before the issuance of any permit subject to the approval of the Planning Board, the applicant shall file with the Town Clerk, in an amount of the estimated cost of the project as submitted under § 75-8 of this chapter and verified by the appropriate official, one of the following performance guaranties, which must be approved by the Town Attorney as to form:
The party or parties filing the performance guaranty shall provide that either upon termination of the permit or the operation, whichever may come first, the project shall be in conformity with both the approved specific requirements of the permit and the provisions of this chapter. In the event of default of such and violation of any other applicable laws, such performance guaranty shall be forfeited to the Town. The Town shall return to the applicant any amount that is not needed to cover the costs of restoration, administration and any other expenses incurred by the Town as a result of the applicant's default. Such performance guaranty shall continue in full force and effect until a certificate of compliance shall have been issued by the authorized official after such consultation with any agencies or individuals as he deems necessary to ensure that all provisions of this chapter and of the permit have been met.
The Zoning Board of Appeals, as established by the Town of Cornwall Code, shall hear and decide appeals.
The Zoning Board of Appeals shall hear and decide appeals when it is alleged that there is an error in any requirement, decision or determination made by the authorized official or Planning Board in the enforcement or administration of this chapter or when it is alleged that failure to grant a variance will result in exceptional hardship to the applicant or results inconsistent with the purposes of this chapter.
In passing upon such applications, the Zoning Board of Appeals shall consider all technical evaluations, all relevant factors, standards specified in other sections of this chapter and whether unnecessary hardships or results inconsistent with the general purpose of this chapter or certain provisions thereof will result from the enforcement of those standards.
Upon consideration of the factors of Subsection D above and the purposes of this chapter, the Zoning Board of Appeals may attach such conditions to the granting of appeals as it deems necessary to further the purpose of this chapter.
The authorized official shall maintain the records of all appeal actions, including technical information.
Variances shall only be issued after the applicant's permit application procedure has been completed and upon a determination that the variance is the minimum necessary to afford relief.
A determination that the granting of a variance will not result in increased runoff, erosion or sedimentation; unnecessary destruction of vegetation; additional threats to property, the environment or public safety; or extraordinary public expense or create nuisances, cause fraud on or victimization of the public or conflict with existing local laws or ordinances.
In the event that any of the activities described in § 75-5 are undertaken by any person who has not been issued a permit or if work undertaken under a permit is not in compliance with the terms of the permit or of this chapter, the authorized official shall notify the on-site personnel or the permittee, in writing, of the violation and shall be authorized to issue, either or both, a stop-work order and an order to remedy describing the required corrective action and the time period in which to have the violation corrected and to require such further compliance with this chapter as is necessary to effect its purpose and goals. The authorized official may issue a second stop-work order if it appears corrective action is not being undertaken or if the violation persists after the date specified for completion of corrective action in the order to remedy. The authorized official shall determine the extent to which work is stopped, which may include all work on the site except that work necessary to remedy the violation.
For any and every violation of the provisions of this chapter by the owner or responsible agent or party, the violator shall be subject to a fine of not less than $100 and not exceeding $500 or to imprisonment for not more than six months, or both, and each and every day the violation of a stop-work order continues or the violation persists after the date specified for the completion of corrective action in an order to remedy shall be deemed to be a separate and distinct violation. In addition, any such person who violates any provision of this chapter or omits or refuses to perform any and every act hereby required shall forfeit and pay a civil penalty to the Town of no less than $250 and not exceeding $2,500 per lot or double the cost of correcting the violation to the extent possible, whichever is greater, for each and every such violation and nonperformance.