Source: http://greenburghny.com/Cit-e-Access/news/archnews.cfm?NID=46227&TID=10&jump2=0
Timestamp: 2018-12-17 00:33:17
Document Index: 108427445

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 2', '§ 3', '§ 285', '§ 4', '§ 285', '§ 5', '§ 6', '§ 7', '§ 3', '§ 4']

HONEY BEE KEEPING LAW APPROVED...Library hosting pop up mini sale Monday-Wed all items 2/$1
Friends of the Greenburgh Library are hosting a pop up mini sale at the Greenburgh Library on Monday, April 9, Tuesday April 10 and Wednesday, April 11 All items 2/$1-- Great deal! We prefer that you do not drop off any donations during the sale.
HONEY BEE KEEPING LAW APPROVED
Earlier this week the Greenburgh Town Board unanimously approved a resolution (see below) authorizing beekeeping. We’re not the first community to allow beekeeping. Beekeeping is an increasingly popular hobby all around the world.
There are so many great reasons to keep honey bees. Producing your own delicious honey, pollinating the plants and flowers in your own garden.
Fewer bees…
Beekeeping has been in the news lately, because of the threat to bees from 'Colony Collapse Disorder' (or CCD). This is where the worker bees inexplicably leave the hive and simply disappear, never to be seen again. About 1/3rd of bees in the USA have been lost.
The issue is causing real concern for the future of the honey bee, and all the crops that rely on it for pollination - one third of all the food we eat is pollinated by honey bees.
VIDEO WITH GREENBURGH NATURE CENTER BEEKEEPER ADVOCATE ON REASONS FOR THE LAW… (FROM LAST YEAR)…
https://www.lohud.com/videos/news/local/westchester/greenburgh/2017/08/31/video-beekeeper-lets-get-some-backyard-honey-going/104231654/
ADOPTING A LOCAL LAW RELATED TO BEEKEEPING, AMENDING
SECTION 285-36 OF THE ZONING ORDINANCE ENTITLED
“SUPPLEMENTARY USE REGULATIONS” AND SECTION 285-10 OF THE
ZONING ORDINANCE ENTITLED “ONE-FAMILY RESIDENCE DISTRICT”
WHEREAS, the Town Board of the Town of Greenburgh finds it in the interest of the Town to
amend the following sections of the Zoning Ordinance: Section 285-10, entitled, “One-Family Residence
District,” and Section 28-36, entitled, “Supplementary use regulations,” to remove a restriction against bee
keeping, and permit such practice in a safe manner in the Town of Greenburgh; and
WHEREAS, on September 13, 2017, the Town Board adopted Resolution CD-3 – 09/13/17, (1)
declaring its intent to act as Lead Agency for review of the amendment and all related actions under the
State Environmental Quality Review Act (“SEQRA”) and (2) referring the Zoning Text Amendment to
the Planning Board for report and recommendation; and
WHEREAS, the Planning Board, at a regularly scheduled work session meetings on October 4,
2017 and October 18, 2017, discussed the proposed local law, and made a neutral recommendation to the
Town Board associated with the proposed Zoning Text Amendment and issued a related report; and
WHEREAS, on October 25, 2017, December 13, 2017 and January 24, 2018, the Town Board
held a public hearing on the proposed Zoning Text Amendment; and
WHEREAS, the Town Board conducted a coordinated SEQRA review (Planning Board,
Westchester County – Interested Agencies) and analysis of the entire record, studying and documenting
the potential environmental impacts associated with the proposed Zoning Text Amendment, and on
February 28, 2018, adopted Resolution CD-2 – 02/28/18, thereby issuing a Negative Declaration with
respect to SEQRA;
hereby adopts the attached Local Law amending Section 285-10 of the Code of the Town of Greenburgh
entitled “One-Family Residence District,” and Section 285-36, entitled “Supplementary use regulations,” to
remove a restriction against beekeeping, and permit such practice in a safe manner in the Town of
Local Law No. 2/2018
A local law amending Chapter 285 of the Code of the Town of Greenburgh
entitled “Zoning” pursuant to New York State Constitution Article IX and New York
Municipal Home Rule Law Section 10, New York Environmental Conservation Law
Article 8 (SEQR).
BE IT ENACTED by the Town Board of the Town of Greenburgh:
§ 2. Legislative Findings and Intent.
§ 3. Amendment to § 285-10A(3)(h).
§ 4. Amendment to § 285-36.
§ 5. Supersession.
§ 6. Severability.
§ 7. Effective Date.
This law is entitled “A local law amending Chapter 285 of the Code of the Town
of Greenburgh entitled ‘Zoning.’”
The Town Board of the Town of Greenburgh finds it in the interest of the Town to
amend Chapter 285 of the Code of the Town of Greenburgh to remove the
restriction against beekeeping, and permit such practice in a safe manner in the
§ 3. Amendments to Section 285-10A(3)(h): R-40 One-Family Residence District.
Section 285-10A(3)(h) of the Code of the Town of Greenburgh is hereby
amended as follows (deleted text in strikeout; new text underlined):
(3) Accessory uses.
(h) On a lot containing a farm, the keeping of one horse or one cow per
acre and a reasonable number of other farm animals, but excluding
pigs, bees and fowl.
§ 4. Amendments to Chapter 285-36: Supplementary use regulations.
U. Beekeeping. The keeping of bees, upon registration through the Department of
Community Development and Conservation, subject to the following:
(1) Beekeeping shall be limited to the keeping of Honey Bees on properties of
at least 10,000 sq. ft. in the One-Family Residence Districts.
(2) Apiaries, which shall constitute a hive or hive-like structure having
removable frames specifically designed, constructed and maintained for
purposes of housing a Bee Colony, shall be located at least twenty feet
from any property line, excluding the front property line. However, no
Apiaries are permitted in a front yard. The Apiary’s entrance must face
away from the property line closest to the beehive and must be situated to
avoid unreasonable interference with pedestrian traffic. In instances
where an abutting or adjacent resident provides medical documentation of
a serious allergy to bee stings, to the satisfaction of the Town Attorney,
the Apiary shall be located at least 250 feet from any property line. All
Bee Colonies shall be kept in appropriately sized, designed and
maintained Apiaries which shall be kept and maintained at all time in
sound and usable condition. The prospective beekeeper shall have, or
cause to have, a physical barrier such as a fence or hedgerow along an
appropriate portion or entirety of the nearest property line of the Apiary.
The orientation and location of the hives and applicable physical barrier
shall be inspected by, and be to the satisfaction of, the Commissioner of
the Department of Community Development and Conservation.
(3) Applicants must notify abutting or adjacent property owners/current
resident, by U.S. Mail, both by first class and by certified return receipt, at
least one month prior to the registration process with the Department of
Community Development and Conservation, notifying them of their intent
to register and maintain an apiary or apiaries. A copy of a standard
notification will be provided by the Department of Community
Development and Conservation. A list of mailings shall be submitted as
part of the Town registration process.
(4) On lots 10,000 sq. ft. to 40,000 sq. ft. no more than two Apiaries shall be
permitted. On lots greater than 40,000 sq. ft. no more than four Apiaries
(5) Commercial signage associated with any Apiary is prohibited.
(6) It shall be the duty of every Beekeeper: (a) to be educated in and strictly
adhere to best management practices; (b) to maintain Bees, Bee Colonies
and Apiaries in a location and condition that will prevent diseases and/or
abandonment of the Apiary. Evidence of completed educational/training
programs by the prospective beekeeper must be provided in connection
with the applicable registration form, to the satisfaction of the
Commissioner of the Department of Community Development and
(7) All Apiaries shall be registered annually with the Department of
Community Development and Conservation on forms provided or
approved by the Town; the purposes of such registration being to maintain
a record of the number and location of each Apiary, to obtain the most
current contact and credential/education information in connection with
each Beekeeper and to obtain a certification from each Beekeeper
acknowledging receipt of a copy of this Chapter and the most current rules
and regulations that may be promulgated pursuant to this Chapter. A
Beekeeper shall provide to the Department of Community Development
and Conservation any updates to the information contained in the annual
registration within 10 days of any change, including but not limited to the
abandonment or potential change in location of any Apiary.
(8) Any Beekeeper who violates any provisions of the registration/beekeeping
process is subject to a revocation of their registration by the Building
Inspector, following a finding by the Commissioner of the Department of
Community Development and Conservation that the beekeeping activity
unreasonably interferes with persons residing on adjacent property and/or
constitutes a nuisance.
Pursuant to New York Municipal Home Rule Law Section 22, this law is intended
to supersede any other inconsistent provision of law.
If any clause, sentence, paragraph, subdivision, section or part of this law or the
application to any person or circumstance shall be adjudged by any court of
competent jurisdiction to be invalid or unconstitutional, such order or judgment
shall not affect, impair or invalidate the remainder thereof, but shall be confined
in its operation to the clause, sentence, paragraph, subdivision, section or part of
this law, or its application to the person or circumstance directly involved in the
controversy in which such order or judgment shall be rendered.