This chapter is adopted pursuant to the provisions of Chapters
98 and 246 of the Connecticut General Statutes.
As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the
meanings indicated:
INTERMEDIATE PROCESSOR
Shall have the meaning ascribed to it in Section 14-67 of
the Connecticut General Statutes, as amended.
JUNK
Scrap, waste and discarded materials, possessing usefulness,
if any, only through conversion or reduction into their components;
any article or collection thereof that is worn out, cast off, or discarded
and that is ready for destruction or has been collected or stored
for salvage or conversion.
JUNKYARD
Except for the specific exceptions noted below, the use of
any area of any lot, whether inside or outside a building, for any
of the following purposes:
A.
The storage, keeping or abandonment of junk or any other scrap,
waste or discarded materials or equipment, including old or used metal,
glass, paper, and cordage, or secondhand material; or
B.
The dismantling (other than for repair), demolition or abandonment
of automobiles, other vehicles, machinery, equipment or parts thereof
in connection with a use other than a motor vehicle recycler's
business or a motor vehicle recycler's yard.
Bethlehem is a rural community with a strong agricultural heritage
and agrarian character. The Town's scenic beauty and village
charm have been preserved through responsible and sensitive development
that has allowed, and continues to allow, a wide range of reasonable
uses. Bethlehem's residents respect private property rights and
values, and they have traditionally limited the regulation of land
uses to those activities and uses that pose the most significant risks
to community and environmental health and safety and to those uses
required to be regulated by state law. The unregulated operation of
junkyards and junk dealers is found to pose such risks, particularly
with respect to groundwater and surface water quality, the creation
of blight, and the attraction of vectors. Therefore, it is in the
interest of the Town to prohibit, to the extent allowed by law, the
establishment of new junkyards or the expansion of existing junkyards.
The entire Town of Bethlehem is designated as a restricted district
in which the establishment, operation, or maintenance of a motor vehicle
recycler's business or motor vehicle recycler's yard is
strictly prohibited.
A penalty of $100 per day is hereby established for each violation of this chapter. Citations may be issued for such violations pursuant to Chapter
1, Article
I, of the Code of the Town of Bethlehem.
The Planning Commission is hereby authorized to adopt any rules
or regulations, not inconsistent with this chapter, relating to junkyards
and junk dealers to the extent permitted by state law.