This chapter shall be known as the "Wetlands Law of the Village
of New Hempstead."
The Board of Trustees finds and declares it to be the public
policy of the Village to preserve, protect and conserve its wetlands,
water bodies and watercourses and the benefits derived therefrom,
to prevent the despoliation and destruction and to regulate the use
and development thereof to secure the natural benefits of wetlands,
water bodies and watercourses consistent with the general welfare
and beneficial economic and social development of the Village. In
this connection, the Board of Trustees finds as follows:
A. Freshwater wetlands are invaluable resources for flood and storm
control, fish and wildlife habitat, protection and provision of groundwater,
recreation, pollution treatment, erosion control, environmental education
and open space.
B. The preservation and maintenance of wetlands, water bodies and watercourses
in an undisturbed and natural condition constitute important physical,
ecological, social, aesthetic, recreational and economic assets necessary
to promote the health, safety and general welfare of present and future
residents of the Village and of downstream drainage areas.
C. It is the intent of this chapter to implement the Freshwater Wetlands
Act of the State of New York as presently contained in Article 24
of the Environmental Conservation Law, as the same may be amended
from time to time, to the extent that said Freshwater Wetlands Act
applies to property within the Village of New Hempstead, and to promote
the public purposes identified therein and in this section by providing
for the protection, preservation, proper maintenance and use of the
Village's wetlands, water bodies and watercourses by preventing
or minimizing erosion due to flooding and stormwater runoff, by maintaining
the natural groundwater supplies, preserving and protecting the purity,
utility, water retention capability, ecological functions, recreational
usefulness and natural beauty of all wetlands, water bodies, watercourses
and other related features of the terrain and by providing and protecting
appropriate habitats for natural wildlife.
As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the
meanings indicated:
BUILDING
As defined in Chapter
290, Zoning.
[Amended 5-22-2017 by L.L. No. 2-2017]
DEPOSIT
To fill, place, eject, discharge or dump any material, but
not including stormwater.
MATERIAL
Soil, stones, sand, gravel, clay, bog, peat, mud, debris
and refuse or any other organic or inorganic substance, whether liquid,
solid or gaseous or any combination thereof.
PLANNING BOARD
The Planning Board of the Village of New Hempstead. In the
event that no Planning Board has been created, the term "Planning
Board" shall be deemed to mean the Board of Trustees of the Village
of New Hempstead.
STATE WETLANDS MAP
The wetlands map prepared by the State of New York pursuant
to Article 24 of the Environmental Conservation Law.
STRUCTURE
As defined in Chapter
290, Zoning.
[Amended 5-22-2017 by L.L. No. 2-2017]
WATER BODY
Any body of standing water which is not dry more than three
months of the year as computed from the average of the last two consecutive
calendar years and which, when wet, is customarily more than 500 square
feet in water surface area.
WATERCOURSE
Any body of flowing water flowing in an identifiable channel
or course and which is not dry more than three months of the year.
ZONING DISTRICT
A zoning district as specified in Chapter
290, Zoning, of the Code of the Village of New Hempstead.
ZONING LAW
Chapter
290, Zoning, of the Code of the Village of New Hempstead
For the purpose of this chapter, "wetlands" are defined as all
lands and waters of the Village of New Hempstead, including but not
limited to any such lands and waters hereafter designated on the State
Wetlands Map, which have a contiguous area of at least 1/10 of an
acre and which contain any or all of the following:
A. Lands and submerged lands commonly called "marshes," "swamps," "sloughs,"
"bogs" and "flats," whether flooded at all times, flooded only seasonally
or having a water table during at least three consecutive months of
the year within six inches of the ground surface or supporting aquatic
or semiaquatic vegetation of the types listed in § 24-0107,
Subdivision (1)(a), of Article 24 of the Environmental Conservation
Law. The common names of these vegetative types are:
(1) Wetland trees, which depend upon seasonal or permanent flooding or
sufficiently waterlogged soils to give them a competitive advantage
over other trees, including, among others, red maple, willows, black
spruce, swamp white oak, red ash, black ash, silver maple, American
elm and birch.
(2) Wetland shrubs, which depend upon seasonal or permanent flooding
or sufficiently waterlogged soils to give them a competitive advantage
over other shrubs, including, among others, alder, buttonbush, bog
rosemary, dogwoods and leatherleaf.
(3) Emergent vegetation, including, among others, cattails, pickerelweed,
bulrushes, arrow arum, arrowheads, reed, wild rice, burreeds, purple
loosestrife, swamp loosestrife and water plantain.
(4) Rooted, floating-leaved vegetation, including, among others, waterlily,
water shield and spatterdock.
(5) Free-floating vegetation, including, among others, duckweed and watermeal.
(6) Wet meadow vegetation, which depends upon seasonal or permanent flooding
or sufficiently waterlogged soils to give them a competitive advantage
over other open land vegetation, including, among others, sedges,
rushes, cattails, rice cut-grass, reed canary grass, swamp loosestrife
and spike rush.
(7) Bog mat vegetation, including, among others, sphagnum mosses, bog
rosemary, leatherleaf, pitcher plant and cranberries.
(8) Submergent vegetation, including, among others, pondweeds, naiads,
bladderworts, wild celery, coontail, water milfoils, muskgrass, waterweeds
and water smartweed.
B. Lands and submerged lands containing remnants of any vegetation that
is not aquatic or semiaquatic that has died because of wet conditions
over a sufficiently long period, provided that such wet conditions
do not exceed a maximum seasonal water depth of six feet and provided,
further, that such conditions can be expected to persist indefinitely,
barring human intervention.
C. Lands and water substantially enclosed by aquatic or semiaquatic vegetation as set forth in Subsection
A of this section or by dead vegetation as set forth in Subsection
B, the regulation of which is necessary to protect and preserve the aquatic semiaquatic vegetation.
D. The waters overlying the areas set forth in Subsections
A and
B and the lands underlying Subsection
C of this section.
E. Lands and submerged lands containing poorly drained soils, as defined
by the United States Department of Agriculture, including but not
limited to the following:
(1) Poorly drained glacial till: (25, 27) Sun; (28) Fredon; (35) Wallington;
(291) Alden.
(2) Muck soils, organic: (101) Carlisle; (1011) Palms.
(3) Alluvium soils: (100) Rippowam; (311) Cohoctah; (103) Fluvaquents
and Humaquepts.
Except as provided in §
159-6 of this chapter, it shall be unlawful to conduct, directly or indirectly, any of the following activities upon any wetland, water body or watercourse or within 100 feet of the boundary of any wetland, water body or watercourse unless a permit is obtained pursuant to the requirements of this chapter:
A. Any form of draining, dredging, excavation or removal of material,
except removal of debris or refuse.
B. Any form of depositing of any material such as but not limited to
soil, rock, debris, concrete, garbage, chemicals, etc.
C. Erecting any building or structure of any kind, roads, the driving
of pilings or placing of any other obstructions, whether or not they
change the ebb and flow of the water.
D. Installing a septic tank, running a sewer outfall, discharging sewage
treatment effluent or other liquid waste into or so as to drain into
any wetland, water body or watercourse.
E. Any other activity which substantially impairs any of the several functions served by wetlands, water bodies and watercourses or the benefits derived therefrom as set forth in §
159-2 of this chapter.
The following activities are permitted by right within or adjoining
any wetland, water body or watercourse, except where the Planning
Board submits written notification to the property owner that it is
assuming jurisdiction over the activity for the purpose of assuring
that the intent of this section is not violated:
A. The depositing or removal of the natural products of the wetlands,
water bodies or watercourses by recreational or commercial fishing,
agriculture, hunting or trapping where otherwise legally permitted.
B. Outdoor recreation activity that does not materially alter the natural
state of the land or require construction, including use of field
trails for nature study, hiking or horseback riding, swimming, skin
diving and boating, where otherwise legally permitted.
C. Grazing, farming and harvesting of crops where otherwise legally permitted; provided, however, that any tillage of soil shall leave an undisturbed strip not less than six feet wide at the edge of any wetland, watercourse or water body to prevent erosion. With respect to any properties designated on the State Wetland Map, the activities of farmers and other landowners in grazing and watering livestock, making reasonable use of water resources, harvesting natural products of the wetlands, selectively cutting brush and timber, draining land or wetlands for growing agricultural products and otherwise engaging in the use of wetlands or other land for growing agricultural products shall be excluded from regulated activities and shall not require a permit under §
159-5 of this chapter, except that structures not required for the enhancement or maintenance or the agricultural productivity of the land and any filling activities shall not be excluded hereunder, and provided that the use of wetlands, water bodies and watercourses for uses other than those referred to in this subsection shall be subject to the provisions of this chapter. Each farmer or landowner who intends to conduct an activity described in this subsection which would otherwise be regulated shall notify the Planning Board, in writing, of his intention to engage in such activity, stating the approximate acreage to be affected, the general location thereof, the use or uses to be made of such land and the methods to be employed.
D. Gardening where otherwise legally permitted; provided, however, that
any tillage of soil shall leave an undisturbed strip not less than
six feet wide at the edge of any wetland, watercourse or water body
to prevent erosion.
E. Operation and maintenance of such dams, retaining walls, terraces,
sluices, culverts or other water control structures or devices as
legally existed on the effective date of this section.
F. Public health activities as exemplified by orders and regulations
of the Rockland County Department of Health. The Department of Health
shall notify the Planning Board, in writing, of the proposed activity
it will undertake.
G. Any actual and ongoing emergency activity as defined by the Board
of Trustees which is immediately necessary for the protection and
preservation of life or property or the protection or preservation
of natural resource values.
[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General
Provisions, Art. I)]
Review of the determination of the Planning Board shall be,
within a period of 30 days after the filing thereof, pursuant to the
provisions of Article 78 of the Civil Practice Law and Rules with
respect to the properties designated on the State Wetlands Map or
otherwise regulated by the state.
All applications for a wetlands permit shall be accompanied
by a fee in accordance with the Fee Schedule adopted by the Board
of Trustees.
Pursuant to Title 23 of Article 71 of the Environmental Conservation
Law, the following penalties shall apply:
A. Any person who violates, disobeys or disregards any provision of
this chapter shall be liable for a civil penalty not to exceed the
penalty set forth in Environmental Conservation Law Article 71, Title
23, as may be amended from time to time. Before assessment of the
civil penalty, the alleged violator shall be afforded a hearing or
opportunity to be heard before the Planning Board upon due notice
and with rights to specification of the charges and representation
by counsel.
[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General
Provisions, Art. I)]
B. The Planning Board shall also have the power, following a hearing,
to direct a violator to cease violation of this chapter and, under
the Board's supervision, to satisfactorily restore the affected
freshwater wetland or watercourse to its condition prior to the violation,
insofar as that is possible, within a reasonable time and under the
supervision of the Planning Board.
C. Any civil penalty or order issued by the Planning Board shall be
reviewable pursuant to Article 78 of the Civil Practice Law and Rules.
D. In addition to the above civil fine, any person who violates any
provision of this chapter shall be guilty of a violation pursuant
to the Penal Law, punishable as set forth in Environmental Conservation
Law Article 71, Title 23, as may be amended from time to time. Instead
of these punishments, any offender may be punishable by being ordered
by the court to restore the affected freshwater wetland to its condition
prior to the offense, insofar as that is possible. The court shall
specify a reasonable time for the completion of such restoration,
which restoration shall be effected under the supervision of the Commissioner
of the Department of Environmental Conservation or of the Village.
Each offense shall be a separate and distinct offense, and, in the
case of a continuing offense, each day's continuance thereof
shall be deemed a separate and distinct offense.
[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General
Provisions, Art. I)]
E. The Planning Board shall have the right to seek equitable relief
to restrain any violation or threatened violation of any provision
of this chapter.
The Code Inspector or Building Inspector shall issue and post
notices of violations of this chapter. In addition, by resolution,
the Board of Trustees may direct the Code Inspector or Building Inspector
to make such inspection and reports, initiate and take such court
proceedings and perform all other actions as required by the Board
of Trustees as may be necessary to enforce this chapter or to invoke
penalties for its violation.