[HISTORY: Adopted by the Town Board of the Town of Deerpark 3-15-1993
by L.L. No. 1-1993. Amendments noted where applicable.]
A clean, wholesome, attractive environment is declared to be of importance
to the health and safety of the inhabitants and the safeguarding
of their material rights against unwarrantable invasion and, in addition,
such an environment is deemed essential to the maintenance and continued development
of the economy of the state and the general welfare of its citizens. It is
further declared that the unrestrained accumulation of junk motor vehicles
is a hazard to such health, safety and welfare of citizens of the state necessitating
the regulation, restraint, and elimination thereof. At the same time, it is
recognized that the maintenance of junkyards, as hereinafter defined, is a
useful and necessary business and ought to be encouraged when not in conflict
with the expressed purposes of this chapter.
As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the meanings
indicated:
JUNKYARD
Any place of storage or deposit, whether in connection with another
business or not, where two or more unregistered, old, or secondhand motor
vehicles, no longer intended or in condition for legal use on the public highways,
are held, whether for the purpose of resale of used parts therefrom, for the
purpose of reclaiming for use some or all of the materials therein, whether
metal, glass or fabric or otherwise for the purpose of disposing of the same
or for any other purpose. Such term shall include any place of storage or
deposit for any such purposes of used parts or waste materials from motor
vehicles, which taken together equal in bulk two or more such vehicles; provided,
however, the term “junkyard” shall not be construed to mean an
establishment having facilities for processing iron, steel or nonferrous scrap
and whose principal produce is scrap iron, steel or nonferrous scrap for sale
for remelting purposes only.
MOTOR VEHICLE
All vehicles propelled or drawn by power other than muscular power
originally intended for use on public highways.
No person shall operate, establish or maintain a junkyard until he has
obtained a license to operate a junkyard business and has obtained a certificate
of approval for the location of such junkyard.
Application for the license and the certificate of approved location shall be made in writing to the Town Board of the municipality where it is proposed to locate the junkyard. The application will be accompanied by a certificate from the Zoning Board of Appeals that the proposed location is not within an established district restricted against such uses or otherwise contrary to the prohibitions of Chapter
230, Zoning. The application shall contain a description of the land to be included within the junkyard.
A hearing on the application shall be held within the municipality not
less than two nor more than four weeks from the date of the receipt of the
application by the Town Board. Notice of the hearing shall be given to the
applicant by mail, postage prepaid, to the address given in the application
and shall be published once in a newspaper having a circulation within the
municipality, which publication shall be not less than seven days before the
date of the hearing.
At the time and place set for hearing, the Town Board shall hear the
applicant and all other persons wishing to be heard on the application for
a license to operate, establish or maintain the junkyard. In considering such
application, it shall take into account the suitability of the applicant with
reference to his ability to comply with the fencing requirements or other
reasonable regulations concerning the proposed junkyard, to any record of
convictions for any type of larceny or receiving of stolen goods and to any
other matter within the purposes of this chapter.
At the time and place set for hearing, the Town Board shall hear the
applicant and all other persons wishing to be heard on the application for
certificate of approval for the location of the junkyard. In passing upon
same, it shall take into account, after proof of legal ownership or right
to such use of property for the license period by the applicant, the nature
and development of surrounding property, such as the proximity of churches,
schools, hospitals, public buildings or other places of public gathering;
and whether or not the proposed location can be reasonably protected from
affecting the public health and safety by reason of offensive or unhealthy
odors or smoke, or of other causes.
At the hearing regarding location of the junkyard, the governing board
may also take into account the clean, wholesome and attractive environment
which has been declared to be of vital importance to the continued general
welfare of its citizens by considering whether or not the proposed location
can be reasonably protected from having an unfavorable effect thereon. In
this connection the governing board may consider collectively the type of
road servicing the junkyard or from which the junkyard may be seen, the natural
or artificial barriers protecting the junkyard from view, the proximity of
the proposed junkyard to established residential and recreational areas or
main access routes thereto, as well as the reasonable availability of other
suitable sites for the junkyard.
After the hearing the Town Board shall, within two weeks, make a finding
as to whether or not the application should be granted, giving notice of their
finding to the applicant by mail, postage prepaid, to the address given on
the application. If approved, the license, including the certificate of approved
location, shall be forthwith issued to remain in effect until the following
April 1. Approval shall be personal to the applicant and not assignable. Licenses
shall be renewed thereafter upon payment of the annual license fee without
hearing, provided all provisions of this chapter are complied with during
the license period, the junkyard does not become a public nuisance under the
common law and the applicant is not convicted of any type of larceny or the
receiving of stolen goods. The determination of the governing board may be
reviewed under Article 78 of the Civil Practice Law and Rules.
The annual license fee shall be $150, which is nonrefundable, to be
paid at the time the application is made and annually thereafter in the event
of renewal. A municipality, in addition to the license fee, may assess the
applicant with the costs of advertising such application and such other reasonable
costs incident to the hearing as are clearly attributable thereto and may
make the license conditional upon payment of same.
A. Before use, a new junkyard shall be completely surrounded
with a fence at least eight feet in height which substantially screens the
junkyard from view of the surrounding properties. A suitable gate shall be
provided which shall be closed and locked except during the working hours
of such junkyard or when the applicant or his agent shall be within. Such
fence shall be erected not nearer than 50 feet to a public highway. All motor
vehicles and parts thereof stored or deposited by the applicant shall be kept
within the enclosure of the junkyard except as removal shall be necessary
for the transportation of same in the reasonable course of the business. All
wrecking or other work on such motor vehicles and parts within the vicinity
of the junkyard shall be accomplished within the enclosure.
B. Where the topography, natural growth of timber or other
considerations accomplish the purposes of this chapter in whole or in part,
the fencing requirements hereunder may be reduced by the legislative body
upon granting the license; provided, however, that such natural barrier conforms
with the purposes of this chapter.
This chapter shall not be construed to affect or supersede Zoning Ordinances.
A. For the purposes of this chapter the location of junkyards already established shall be considered approved by the Town Board of the municipality where located and the owner thereof deemed suitable for the issuance of a license. Within 60 days from the passage of this chapter, however, the owner shall furnish the Town Board the information as to location which is required in an application, together with the license fee, and the Town Board shall issue him a license valid until the next April 1, at which time such owner may apply for renewal as herein provided. Such owner shall comply with all other provisions of this chapter, including the fencing requirements set forth in §
158-11 of this chapter and the following.
B. The owner/applicant must provide:
(1) State of New York Department of Motor Vehicles MV-907A
form.
(2) State Environmental Quality Review short-form environmental
assessment form.
(3) State of New York Department of Motor Vehicles MV61U
form (Dismantler).
(4) Environmental Protection Agency form 8700-12A (Hazardous
Waste Activity).
(5) Certificate of insurance.
(6) New York State permit for handling waste gas, oil, antifreeze
and other fluids.
(7) Department of Environmental Conservation waste tire storage
permit for over 1,000 tires.
C. At license renewal time, if the applicant is in violation of
any Town, state or federal laws, the license will not be granted.
Notwithstanding any of the foregoing provisions of this chapter, no
junkyard or any part thereof, hereafter established, shall be licensed to
operate if the junkyard or any part thereof shall be within 500 feet of a
church, school, hospital, public building or place of public assembly.
Violators of any of the portions of this chapter shall be guilty of
an offense punishable by a fine not exceeding $500 for the first week that
such violation occurs and $250 for each successive week that such violation
is carried on or continues. Each week or any portion thereof in which a violation
continues shall constitute a separate violation.