[HISTORY: Adopted by the Town Board of the Town of Macedon 3-28-2019 by L.L. No. 4-2019. Amendments noted where applicable.]
This chapter will be known and may be cited as the "Town of
Macedon Waterfront Consistency Review Law."
A.
The purpose of this chapter is to provide a framework for agencies
of the Town of Macedon to incorporate the policies and purposes contained
in the Town of Macedon Local Waterfront Revitalization Program (LWRP)
when reviewing applications for actions or direct agency actions within
the waterfront area; and to ensure that such actions and direct actions
by Town agencies are consistent with the LWRP policies and purposes.
B.
It is the intention of the Town of Macedon to provide for the protection
and beneficial use of the natural and man-made resources within the
waterfront revitalization area of the Town of Macedon. The Town desires
to find an appropriate balance between the protection of natural resources,
enhancing waterfront lands, improving quality of life, promoting waterfront
access, and general economic development. Accordingly, this chapter
is intended to achieve such a balance, permitting the beneficial use
of waterfront resources while preventing loss and degradation of living
waterfront resources and wildlife; diminution of open space areas
or public access to the waterfront; disruption of natural processes;
impairment of scenic, cultural or historical resources; losses due
to flooding, erosion and sedimentation; impairment of water quality;
or permanent adverse changes to ecological systems.
A.
This chapter is adopted under the authority of the Municipal Home
Rule Law and the Waterfront Revitalization of Coastal Areas and Inland
Waterways Act of the State of New York (Article 42 of the Executive
Law).
B.
The substantive provisions of this chapter shall only apply when
there is in existence a Town of Macedon Local Waterfront Revitalization
Program which has been adopted in accordance with Article 42 of the
Executive Law of the State of New York.
All agencies of the Town of Macedon must comply with this chapter
prior to directly undertaking, approving, or funding any action within
the waterfront area. This chapter shall supersede and repeal any previous
local regulations regarding Town of Macedon LWRP consistency law.
The provisions of this chapter are severable. If any part of
this chapter is found invalid, such findings will apply only to the
particular provision and circumstances in question. The remainder
of this chapter, and the application of the disputed provision to
other circumstances, will remain valid.
As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the
meanings indicated:
Includes all the following, except minor actions:
Projects or physical activities, such as construction or any
other activities that may affect natural, man-made or other resources
in the waterfront revitalization area or the environment by changing
the use, appearance or condition of any resource or structure that:
Agency planning and policy making activities that may affect
the environment and commit the agency to a definite course of future
decisions;
Adoption of agency rules, regulations and procedures, including
local laws, codes, ordinances, executive orders and resolutions that
may affect waterfront resources or the environment; and
Any combination of the above.
Any board, agency, department, office, other body, or officers
of the Town of Macedon.
That the action will fully comply with the LWRP policy standards,
conditions and objectives and, whenever practicable, will advance
one or more of them.
Actions planned and proposed for implementation by an agency,
such as, but not limited to, a capital project, rule making, procedure
making and policy making.
Environmental impact statement as defined in 6 NYCRR 617.2(n).
All conditions, circumstances and influences surrounding
and affecting the development of living organisms or other resources
in the waterfront area.
A form used in determining the environmental significance
or insignificance of actions in accordance with the State Environmental
Quality Review Act (SEQRA).
The Local Waterfront Revitalization Program of the Town of
Macedon, originally approved by the Village of Macedon Board of Trustees
and Secretary of State pursuant to the Waterfront Revitalization of
Coastal Areas and Inland Waterways Act (Executive Law, Article 42),
and subsequently approved by the Macedon Town Board following the
dissolution of the Village, a copy of which is on file in the Office
of the Town Clerk of the Town of Macedon.
Includes the following actions, which are not subject to
review under this chapter:
Maintenance or repair involving no substantial changes in an
existing structure or facility;
Replacement, rehabilitation or reconstruction of a structure
or facility, in-place and in-kind, on the same site, including upgrading
buildings to meet building or fire codes;
Street openings and right-of-way openings for the purpose of
repair or maintenance of existing utility facilities;
Maintenance of existing landscaping or natural growth, except
where threatened or endangered species of plants or animals are affected;
Minor temporary uses of land having negligible or no permanent
impact on waterfront resources or the environment;
Installation of traffic control devices on existing streets,
roads and highways;
Mapping of existing roads, streets, highways, natural resources,
land uses and ownership patterns;
Information collection, including basic data collection and
research, water quality and pollution studies, traffic counts, engineering
studies, surveys, subsurface investigations and soils studies that
do not commit the agency to undertake, fund or approve any action;
Official acts of a ministerial nature involving no exercise
of discretion, including building permits where issuance is predicated
solely on the applicant's compliance or noncompliance with the
relevant local building code;
Routine or continuing agency administration and management,
not including new programs or major reordering of priorities that
may affect the environment;
Conducting concurrent environmental, engineering, economic,
feasibility and other studies and preliminary planning and budgetary
processes necessary to the formulation of a proposal for action, provided
those activities do not commit the agency to commence, engage in or
approve such action;
Collective bargaining activities;
Investments by or on behalf of agencies or pension or retirement
systems, or refinancing existing debt;
Inspections and licensing activities relating to the qualifications
of individuals or businesses to engage in their business or profession;
Adoption of regulations, policies, procedures and local legislative
decisions in furtherance of any action on this list;
Engaging in review of any part of an application to determine
compliance with technical requirements, provided that no such determination
entitles or permits the project sponsor to commence the action unless
and until all requirements of this chapter have been fulfilled;
Civil or criminal enforcement proceedings, whether administrative
or judicial, including a particular course of action specifically
required to be undertaken pursuant to a judgment or order, or the
exercise of prosecutorial discretion;
Adoption of a moratorium on land development or construction;
Interpreting an existing code, rule or regulation;
Designation of local landmarks or their inclusion within historic
districts;
Emergency actions that are immediately necessary on a limited
and temporary basis for the protection or preservation of life, health,
property or natural resources, provided that such actions are directly
related to the emergency and are performed to cause the least change
or disturbance, practicable under the circumstances, to waterfront
resources or the environment. Any decision to fund, approve or directly
undertake other activities after the emergency has expired is fully
subject to the review procedures of this chapter;
Local legislative decisions such as rezoning where the Town
of Macedon determines the action will not be approved.
The Town of Macedon Planning Board.
The Town of Macedon.
The Town of Macedon Clerk's Office.
The form, a sample of which is appended to this chapter,
used by an agency to assist in determining the consistency of an action
with the Local Waterfront Revitalization Program.
That area located within the boundaries of the Town of Macedon
delineated and described in the Town of Macedon Local Waterfront Revitalization
Program (LWRP).
A.
The Town of Macedon Planning Board shall be responsible for coordinating
review of actions in the Town's waterfront revitalization area
for consistency with the LWRP, and will advise, assist and make consistency
recommendations to other Town agencies in the implementation of the
LWRP, its policies and projects, including physical, legislative,
regulatory, administrative and other actions included in the program.
B.
The Town of Macedon Planning Board Chair shall coordinate with the
New York State Department of State regarding consistency review of
actions by federal agencies and with state agencies regarding consistency
review of their actions.
A.
Whenever a proposed action is located within the Town's waterfront revitalization area, each Town agency shall, prior to approving, funding or undertaking the action, make a determination that it is consistent with the LWRP policy standards summarized in Subsection I herein. No action in the waterfront revitalization area shall be approved, funded or undertaken by that agency without such a determination.
B.
Whenever a Town agency receives an application for approval or funding
of an action, or as early as possible in the agency's formulation
of a direct action to be located in the waterfront area, the agency
shall refer a copy of the completed WAF to the Planning Board within
10 days of its receipt and prior to making its determination, shall
consider the recommendation of the Planning Board with reference to
the consistency of the proposed action.
C.
Recommendation of Planning Board.
(1)
After referral from an agency, the Planning Board shall consider whether the proposed action is consistent with the LWRP policy standards set forth in Subsection H herein. The Planning Board shall require the applicant to submit all completed applications, WAFs, EAFs, and any other information deemed necessary to its consistency recommendation.
(2)
The Planning Board shall render its written recommendation to the
agency within 30 days following referral of the WAF from the agency,
unless extended by mutual agreement of the Planning Board and the
applicant or in the case of a direct action, the agency. The Planning
Board's recommendation shall indicate whether the proposed action
is consistent with or inconsistent with one or more of the LWRP policy
standards and shall elaborate, in writing, the basis for its opinion.
The Planning Board shall, along with a consistency recommendation,
make any suggestions to the agency concerning modification of the
proposed action, including the imposition of conditions, to make it
consistent with LWRP policy standards or to greater advance them.
(3)
In the event that the Planning Board's recommendation is not
forthcoming within the specified time, the agency shall make its consistency
decision without the benefit of the Planning Board's recommendation.
D.
If an action requires approval of more than one Town agency, decision
making will be coordinated between the agencies to determine which
agency will conduct the final consistency review, and that agency
will thereafter act as designated consistency review agency. Only
one WAF per action will be prepared. If the agencies cannot agree,
the Town Board shall designate the consistency review agency.
E.
Upon receipt of the Planning Board's recommendation, the agency shall consider whether the proposed action is consistent with the LWRP policy standards in Subsection I herein. The agency shall consider the consistency recommendation of the Planning Board, the WAF and other relevant information in making its written determination of consistency. No approval or decision shall be rendered for an action in the waterfront area without a written determination of consistency having first been rendered by a Town agency.
F.
The Zoning Board of Appeals is the designated agency for the determination
of consistency for variance applications subject to this chapter.
The Zoning Board of Appeals shall consider the written consistency
recommendation of the Planning Board in the event and at the time
it makes a decision to grant such a variance and shall impose appropriate
conditions on the variance to make the activity consistent with the
objectives of this chapter.
G.
Where an EIS is being prepared or required, the draft EIS must identify applicable LWRP policies standards in Subsection I herein and include a thorough discussion of the effects of the proposed action on such policy standards.
H.
In the event the Planning Board's recommendation is that the
action is inconsistent with the LWRP, and the agency makes a contrary
determination of consistency, the agency shall elaborate, in writing,
the basis for its disagreement with the recommendation and state the
manner and extent to which the action is consistent with the LWRP
policy standards.
I.
Actions to be undertaken within the waterfront revitalization area
shall be evaluated for consistency in accordance with the following
summary of LWRP policy standards, which are derived from and further
explained and described in the Town of Macedon LWRP Section III, a
copy of which is on file in the Town Clerk's office and available
for inspection during normal business hours. Agencies which undertake
direct actions must also consult with LWRP Section IV in making their
consistency determination. Any proposed action must be consistent
with the following established policies:
|
Policy 1
|
Foster a pattern of development in the waterfront area that
enhances community character, preserves open space, makes efficient
use of infrastructure, makes beneficial use of a waterfront location,
and minimizes adverse effects of development
|
|
Policy 2
|
Preserve historic resources of the waterfront area
|
|
Policy 3
|
Enhance visual quality and protect scenic resources throughout
the waterfront area
|
|
Policy 4
|
Minimize loss of life, structure, and natural resources from
flooding and erosion
|
|
Policy 5
|
Protect and improve water quality and supply in the waterfront
area
|
|
Policy 6
|
Protect and restore the quality and function of the waterfront
ecosystem
|
|
Policy 7
|
Protect and improve air quality in the waterfront area
|
|
Policy 8
|
Minimize environmental degradation in the waterfront area from
solid waste and hazardous substances and wastes
|
|
Policy 9
|
Provide for public access to, and recreational use of, waterfront
waters, public lands, and public resources of the waterfront area
|
|
Policy 10
|
Protect water-dependent uses and promote siting of new water-dependent
uses in suitable locations
|
|
Policy 11
|
Promote sustainable use of living marine resources in the waterfront
area
|
|
Policy 12
|
Protect agricultural lands
|
|
Policy 13
|
Promote appropriate use and development of energy and mineral
resources
|
J.
The Town shall maintain a file for each action made the subject of
a consistency determination, including any recommendations received
from the Planning Board. Such files shall be made available for public
inspection upon request.
A.
No action within the Town of Macedon waterfront revitalization area
which is subject to review under this article shall proceed until
a written determination has been issued from a Town agency that the
action is consistent with the Town of Macedon's LWRP policy standards.
B.
In the event that an activity is being performed in violation of
this chapter or any conditions imposed thereunder, the Code Enforcement
Officer or any other authorized official of the Town shall issue a
stop-work order and all work shall immediately cease. No further work
or activity shall be undertaken on the project so long as a stop-work
order is in effect. The Code Enforcement Officer, Town Attorney, and
Police Department shall be responsible for enforcing this chapter.
A.
A person who violates any of the provisions of, or who fails to comply
with any condition imposed by, this chapter shall have committed a
violation, punishable by a fine not exceeding $500 for a conviction
of a first offense and punishable by a fine of $1,000 for a conviction
of a second or subsequent offense. For the purpose of conferring jurisdiction
upon courts and judicial officers, each week of continuing violation
shall constitute a separate additional violation.
B.
The Town Attorney is authorized and directed to institute any and
all actions and proceedings necessary to enforce this chapter. Any
civil penalty shall be in addition to and not in lieu of any criminal
prosecution and penalty.
