[Added 10-24-2007 by L.L. No. 13-2007]
The following words, terms and phrases, when used in this article, shall have the meanings ascribed to them in this section, except where the context clearly indicates a different meaning:
COMMISSIONER
The Commissioner of Public Works and/or his designee.
NEWSRACK
Any type of unmanned device for the vending or free distribution of newspapers or news periodicals.
PUBLIC RIGHT-OF-WAY
Any public street, highway, sidewalk or alley within the jurisdiction of the Unincorporated Town of Greenburgh.
The purpose of the following is to promote the public health, safety and welfare through the regulation of the placement, type, appearance, servicing, and insuring of newsracks on public rights-of-way so as to:
A. 
Provide for pedestrian and driving safety and convenience.
B. 
Restrict unreasonable interference with the flow of pedestrian or vehicular traffic, including ingress into or egress from any residence or place of business, or from the street to the sidewalk by persons exiting or entering parked or standing vehicles.
C. 
Provide for public and property safety during inclement weather.
D. 
Provide reasonable access for the use and maintenance of poles, posts, traffic signs or signals, hydrants, mailboxes and access to locations used for public transportation purposes.
E. 
Relocate and/or replace newsracks which result in a visual blight and/or excessive space allocation on the public rights-of-way or which unreasonably detract from the aesthetics of store window displays, adjacent landscaping and other improvements, as well as to have abandoned newsracks removed.
F. 
Maintain and protect the values of surrounding properties.
G. 
Reduce unnecessary exposure of the public to personal injury or property damage.
H. 
Treat all newspapers equally regardless of their size, content, circulation, or frequency of publication.
I. 
Maintain and preserve freedom of the press.
J. 
Cooperate to the maximum extent with newspaper distributors.
No person shall place, affix, erect, construct or maintain a newsrack without first obtaining a one-time-only permit for each newsrack in accordance with the provisions of this article.
A. 
Issuing authority. The issuing authority and coordinator shall be the Commissioner or his designee. The Commissioner or his designee is responsible for fairly coordinating and administering the physical placement of newsracks of the type and location herein specified and, upon compliance herewith, is responsible for issuing the permit.
B. 
Approving authorities. The approving authority shall be the Commissioner or his designee.
C. 
Applications. The applicant or designee shall file with the Commissioner a written application for an installation permit that shall contain the following information:
(1) 
The name, address and telephone number of the applicant who is the owner and/or principal in responsible charge of the newsrack.
(2) 
The name, address and telephone number of a responsible person whom the Town may notify or contact at any time concerning the applicant's newsracks.
(3) 
The number of newsracks and the proposed location of each shown on a drawing.
(4) 
Names of newspapers or periodicals to be contained in each newsrack.
D. 
Procedure. The Department of Public Works shall review proposed installations for compliance with the criteria specified in this section.
E. 
Issuance of permits. Upon a finding by the Commissioner that the applicant is in compliance with the provisions of this article and having received the required approvals, the Commissioner shall cause to be issued a permit for installation by the newspaper publishing company. Such issuance shall be made within five working days of the Town's receipt of the completed application.
F. 
Denial of permits. If a permit for some newsrack location applied for shall be denied, the applicant shall be notified within five working days of the Town's receipt of the completed application. The applicant shall be advised of the specific cause of such denial by the Commissioner, who will suggest alternative locations therefor. The applicant may apply for substitute alternative location at no additional permit fee.
G. 
Additional permits. If at any time after the initial application for an installation permit a publisher wishes to install additional newsracks, then Subsections C and D of this section are to be repeated in accordance with the provisions of this article. Under § 430-23, any additional returnable bond deposit required will credit any amount still on account. Additional permit fees shall be in accordance with § 430-24.
H. 
Revocation of permits not permitted generally. The authority of the Commissioner to revoke a permit is limited to cases where the continuing presence of a newsrack is determined to:
(1) 
Pose a significant danger or hazard to the public; or
(2) 
Create a significant liability to the Town; or
(3) 
Not conform to applicable laws and regulations. However, nonconformity may result not only in revocation but in enforcement actions under the applicable code sections.
A. 
Prior to the issuance of a permit by the Commissioner, the applicant shall: (1) furnish proof of sufficient liability insurance, and (2) provide a one-time-only returnable bond deposit. Returnable bonding amounts for newsrack installations shall be:
Total Proposed Newsracks
Total Returnable Bond
1 to 4
$150
5 to 10
$300
11 to 20
$500
21 and up
$700
B. 
Reasonable evidence of equivalent self-insurance coverage may be substituted by the applicant for the above certificate of insurance liability. Insurance under this section shall run continuously with the presence of the applicant's newsrack in Town rights-of-way, and any termination or lapse of such insurance shall be a violation of this article, subject to appropriate remedy by the Code Enforcement Division.
There shall be a one-time-only permit fee in the amount of $150 for each newspaper publisher. Additionally, there shall be a yearly inspection fee of $100 to ensure the safety and maintenance of the newsrack. Failed inspections are subject to a reinspection fee of the same amount, and upon noncompliance or failure to remedy a defect, a failed inspection may result in revocation subject to § 430-22H of this article. All of the above fees will be used to defray administrative expenses relating to this article only, and any revenues over expenses remaining after the implementation of this article will be returned to the newspaper publishers in proportion to their respective contributions.
Any applicant who has been denied a permit pursuant to the provisions of this article may file an appeal with the Greenburgh Town Board by filing with the Town Clerk within 30 days from receipt of a permit denial. The appeal shall be heard by the Town Board within 30 days of the filing of the appeal or at the next regularly scheduled agenda, whichever occurs first. The decision of the Town Board on appeal is subject to judicial review as provided by Article 78 of the New York Civil Practice Law and Rules.
Subject to the prohibitions set forth in § 430-29, newsracks shall be placed parallel to and not less than 18 inches nor more than 24 inches from the edge of the curb, unless such placement results in the obstruction of a pedestrian walkway. Newsracks placed near the wall of a building must be placed parallel to and not more than six inches from the wall, unless such placement results in the obstruction of a pedestrian walkway.
A. 
Newsracks for free newspapers may omit the coinbox and may have the pull bar welded to the door to produce an "honor rack."
B. 
Newsracks shall be maintained in good working order at all times, freshly painted and with unbroken hoods.
Newsracks shall be positioned so as to be stable and so as to be unlikely to topple into a roadway.
A. 
No newsrack shall be placed, installed, used or maintained:
(1) 
Within five feet of any marked crosswalk.
(2) 
Within 10 feet of any unmarked crosswalk.
(3) 
Within 10 feet of any fire hydrant, fire callbox, police callbox, or other emergency facility.
(4) 
Within five feet of any driveway.
(5) 
Within five feet ahead of, and 15 feet to the rear of, any sign marking a designated bus stop, measured along the edge of pavement.
(6) 
Within two feet of any bus bench or plaza bench.
(7) 
At any location whereby the clear space for passage of pedestrians is reduced to less than six feet.
(8) 
Where a vertically protruding part of a newsrack is on or within 12 inches of any area improved with lawn or hedges or within three feet of flowers or trees.
(9) 
Within three feet of any display window of any building abutting the sidewalk or parkway or in such a manner as to impede or interfere with the reasonable use of such window display purpose, or within five feet of a building entrance.
(10) 
On or within two feet of signs, parking meters, street lights or utility poles.
B. 
Should the size of the newsrack result in nonconformance with any of the provisions in § 430-26, 430-27, 430-28, or this § 430-29, a permit cannot be issued without leave or variance granted by the Greenburgh Town Board.
Within 150 days of the effective date of the ordinance from which this article is derived and at any time thereafter, any newsrack in violation of any provision of this article shall be subject to remedy and due process under the Commissioner's code enforcement authority.
A. 
Any newsrack installed pursuant to this article may be deemed abandoned when no publication is carried by the newsrack for a period of more than seven consecutive days. Abandoned newsracks are subject to appropriate code enforcement action. Any such abandoned newsrack shall be removed, with any and all costs to be borne by the holder of the permit for that newsrack.
B. 
In the event a newspaper publishing company or its distributor desires to voluntarily abandon a newsrack location, the distributor shall notify the Commissioner, completely remove the newsrack and mount, and restore the public right-of-way to a safe condition, leaving no holes or projections in the mounting surface.