[HISTORY: Adopted by the Board of Trustees of the Village of Flower Hill 1-6-1976 as Ch. 66 of the 1967 Code. Amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Penalties for offenses — See Ch. 1, Art. II.
In order to conserve the natural beauty and physical advantages of the village and the land of its inhabitants and to protect the same from destruction and in order to prevent and to abate any public nuisance which may arise or has arisen through the unrestricted excavation of topsoil, sand and gravel or other soil material within the village limits, it shall be unlawful for any person to excavate, dredge, mine, strip or otherwise displace or remove topsoil, sand and gravel or other soil material within the village limits or to assist or direct in so doing; and any such excavating, dredging, mining, stripping or other displacement or removal of such topsoil, sand and gravel or other soil material is hereby declared to be a public nuisance and is hereby prohibited.
All persons participating in any violation of this chapter, either as proprietors, owners, tenants, managers, superintendents, engineers, chauffeurs, truck drivers or firemen or otherwise, shall be severally liable therefor.
The provisions of this chapter shall not apply to the excavating or dredging of topsoil, sand and gravel or other soil material where such excavating or dredging is incidental to the erection of any residence or other legalized structure within the village limits and where the excavation is to be covered or filled in to the preexisting grade; but in such cases a written permit or license shall first be obtained from the Village Clerk or Village Clerk-Treasurer as authorized by the Board of Trustees, before any such excavating is engaged in.
A. 
Every person, firm or corporation undertaking bona fide building construction or alteration of a building or buildings or other improvements within the village wherein or during the course of which it shall be necessary or required to strip topsoil or other soil material from or make excavation in the lands within the village limits shall submit simultaneously with all other maps, plans, plats, specifications or other documents required to be submitted by the owner of such land, the builder or contractor doing the work thereon or therein, to either the Board of Trustees or the Planning Board of the Village of Flower Hill, or other official or officials of the Village of Flower Hill having jurisdiction thereof, a written application for a license or permit to perform such work prior to the beginning of any such work, and no such work shall be instituted or commenced without said owner, builder or contractor first obtaining the approval of such application by the Board of Trustees or village official or officials having jurisdiction thereof, as hereinafter provided. Such owner, builder or contractor shall also submit simultaneously with such application for such permit, a contour map or maps and an erosion control and tree location plan as part of such application as may be required by such Board or Village of Flower Hill official having jurisdiction thereof. Said application and contour map or maps shall show the following:
[Amended 11-10-1999 by L.L. No. 3-1999]
(1) 
The area to be excavated or stripped.
(2) 
Existing contour lines on the premises and proposed contour lines resulting from the intended excavation or removal, shown on a map drawn to a scale not less than 10 feet to the inch, and with a contour interval not to exceed two feet, unless otherwise required by the village official or officials having jurisdiction of the application.
(3) 
Existing and proposed drainage of the premises.
(4) 
Immediately adjacent surrounding properties and streets.
(5) 
Proposed temporary access to the property.
B. 
The Board of Trustees, by a majority vote, or the village official having jurisdiction thereof may approve such application and contour map as may be submitted, pursuant to the foregoing subsection, by any person, firm or corporation, or may require such applicant to make such corrections, additions or insertions thereon as the majority of the Board of Trustees or such official may require. Upon compliance with all the requirements hereof, and the approval of such application and contour map as herein provided, the Village Clerk or Village Clerk-Treasurer shall issue the necessary permit or license to the applicant.
C. 
The approval of any such application and contour map shall be conditioned upon the requirement that the work to be performed thereunder will not result in the creation of any sharp declivities, pits or depressions, soil erosion or fertility problems, or create any drainage or sewerage problems or other conditions which would impair the use of the property in accordance with Chapter 240 of the Code of the Village of Flower Hill, or which would cause any damage to private or public property within the village, and that such excavation or removal will be in harmony with the general purpose of Chapter 240 of the Code of the Village of Flower Hill. All surface water is to be maintained on-site.
[Amended 11-10-1999 by L.L. No. 3-1999]
D. 
This chapter shall not be deemed to prevent the:
(1) 
Usual landscaping, gardening and maintenance of lawns of private residences and those of commercial or industrial structures.
(2) 
Maintenance and operation of playgrounds and parking fields.
(3) 
Maintenance of operating and existing golf courses.
E. 
Where any construction or other work is done that involves removal or displacement of soil, the provisions of the village's erosion and sediment control regulations shall apply. The violation thereof shall constitute a violation of this chapter.
[Added 11-10-1999 by L.L. No. 3-1999]
Any person committing an offense against any provision of this chapter shall, upon conviction thereof, be punishable as provided in Chapter 1, General Provisions, Article II, Penalties, of the Code of the Village of Flower Hill.