As used in this chapter, the following terms
shall have the meanings indicated:
APPLICANT
A person who files an application for a permit under this
chapter who is either the owner of the land on which the proposed
regulated activity would be located, a contract vendee, a lessee of
the land or the authorized agent of any such person.
AQUACULTURE
Cultivating and harvesting products, including fish and vegetation,
that are produced naturally in wetlands and installing cribs, racks
and other in-water structures for cultivating these products, but
does not include filling, dredging, peat mining or the construction
of any buildings or any water regulating structures, such as dams.
BOUNDARIES OF WETLANDS
The outer limit of the vegetation specified in Subsections
A and B of the definition of "wetlands" below and of lands and water
specified in Subsection C of such definition.
DEPOSIT
To fill, place, eject, discharge or dump any material.
FILLING
Depositing any soil, stones, sand, gravel, mud, rubbish or
fill of any kind.
MATERIAL
Soil, stones, sand, gravel, clay, peat, mud, debris and refuse
or any other organic or inorganic substance, whether liquid, solid
or gaseous, or any combination thereof.
PERMIT
The written approval, issued by the approving authority,
where required for conducting a regulated activity in a wetland area.
PERSON
Any person, firm, partnership, association, corporation,
company, organization or legal entity of any kind, including municipal
corporations, governmental agencies or subdivisions thereof.
POLLUTION
The presence in the environment of man-made or man-induced
conditions or contaminants in quantities or characteristics which
are or may be injurious to human, plant or wildlife or other animal
life or to property.
REGULATED ACTIVITY
Any form of draining, dredging, excavation or mining, either
directly or indirectly; any form of dumping or filling, either directly
or indirectly, erecting any building or structures, constructing roads,
driving pilings or placing any obstructions, whether or not changing
the ebb and flow of the water; any form of pollution, including but
not limited to installing a septic tank, running sewer outfall, discharging
sewage treatment effluent or other liquefied wastes, including drainage
from swimming pools, into or so as to drain into a wetland; or any
other activity which substantially impairs any of the several functions
or benefits of wetlands. These activities are subject to regulation,
whether or not they occur upon the wetland itself, if they impinge
upon or otherwise substantially affect the wetland and are located
within the regulated area. Activities exempted under this definition:
A.
The depositing or removal of the natural products
of wetlands by recreational or commercial fishing, shellfishing, aquaculture,
hunting or trapping are not regulated under this Article.
B.
Agricultural activities excluded from regulation
under § 24-0701.4 of Article 24.
C.
Public health activities, orders and regulations
of the New York State Department of Health are not regulated under
this chapter, provided that copies of all such orders or regulations
affecting wetlands are filed with the approving authority in advance.
D.
Nothing herein contained shall be deemed to
affect the taking of wetland products regulated by the Trustees of
the Freeholders and Commonalty of the Town of Southampton.
REGULATED AREA
The area within 150 feet of the boundary of a wetland for
any structure or building, or the area within 200 feet of the boundary
of a wetland for any septic or discharge system, or the area within
125 feet of a boundary of wetland for any clearing of land, landscaping
and use of fertilizers. "Regulated area" may also be extended by the
Village Board in accordance with Section 665.2(b) of Title 6 of NYCRR.
SETBACKS
Except for coastal erosion structures (sea walls, revetments,
bulkheads, gabions,) and docks, the nominal standard of 150 feet for
setting back structures and buildings from the landward edge of any
wetland and 200 feet for setting back any septic or discharge system
from the landward edge of any wetland and 125 feet for setting back
any clearing of land, landscaping and fertilizing from the landward
edge of any wetland.
STATE MAPS
The Official Freshwater Wetlands Map promulgated and amended
by the Commissioner of the New York State Department of Conservation
pursuant to § 24-0301.5 of the Freshwater Wetlands Act.
TOWN TRUSTEES
The Trustees of the Freeholders and Commonalty of the Town
of Southampton.
VILLAGE BOARD
The Village Board of Trustees of the Incorporated Village
of Southampton.
WATERCOURSE
A natural or man-made channel through which water flows continuously,
seasonally or periodically and which contains or connects to wetlands
as herein defined.
WETLANDS
All lands and waters of the Village of Southampton which
contain any or all of the following;
A.
Lands and submerged lands, commonly called "marshes,"
"swamps," "sloughs," "bogs" and "flats," supporting aquatic or semiaquatic
vegetation of the following types:
(1)
Wetlands 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 (Acer rubrum), willows (Salix species), tupelo (Nyssa syivatica),
swamp white oak (Quercus bicolor) grey birch (Betula populifolia)
and shadbush (Amelanchier canadensis).
(2)
Wetlands 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 (Alnus species), buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis), leatherleaf
(chamaedaphne calyculata), sweet pepperbush (Clethra alnifolia), swamp
azalea (Rhodo dendron viscosum), spicebush (Lindera benzoin), bog
laurel (kalmia polifolia), highbush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum)
and winterberry holly (Ilex verticillata).
(3)
Emergent vegetation, including, among others,
cattails (Typha species), pickerelweed (Ponterderia cordata), bulrushes
(Scirpus species), rushes (Juncus species), arrowheads (Sagittaria
species), purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria), swamp loosestrife
(Decondon verticillatus), swamp rose mallow (Hisbiscus palustris),
smartweeds (Polygonum species), water plantain (Alisma plantago) and
manna grasses (Glyceria species).
(4)
Rooted, floating-leaved vegetation, including,
among others, water lily (Nymphaea ordorata), starwort (Callitriche
species), pondweeds (Potamoqeton species), spatterdock (Nuphar species)
and watercress (Nasturtium officinale).
(5)
Free-floating vegetation, including, among others,
duckweed (Lemna species), big duckweed (Spirodela polyrhiza) and watermeal
(Wolffia species).
(6)
Wet meadow vegetation which depends upon seasonal
or permanent flooding or sufficiently waterlogged soils to give it
a competitive advantage over other open land vegetation, including,
among others, blue and yellow flag (Iris species) ferns (Osmunda species,
Theylpteris palustris and Woodwardeia species), bulrushes (Scirpus
species), sedges (Carex species), rushes (Juncus species), cattails
(Typha species), rice cut-grass (Leersia oryzoides), reed canary grass
(Phalaris arundinacea), sensitive fern (Opoclea sensibilis), skunk
cabbage (Symplocarpus foetidus), swamp loosestrife (Decondon verticillatus),
spike rush (Eleocharis species), break rush (Rhynchospora species),
umbrella sedges (Cyperus species) and manna grasses (Glyceria species).
(7)
Bog mat vegetation, including, among others,
sphagnum mosses (Sphagnum species), sundews (Drosera species), leatherleaf
(Chamaedaphne calyculata), bladderworts (Utricularia species), cranberries
(Vaccinium macrocarpon and Vaccinium oxycoccos), piewort (Eriocaulon
species) and water pennyworts (Hydrocotyle species).
(8)
Brackish marsh vegetation, containing elements
of subsection A(1) through (6) above, including, among others, common
reeds, cattails, bulrushes, sedge, rushes and ferns, as well as switch
grass (Panicum virgatum), cordgrasses (Spartina species), spike grass
(Distichlis spicata), black grass (Juncus gerardii), glassworts (Salicornia
species), sea lavender (Limonium nashii), marsh elder (Iva frutescens)
and groundsel bush (Baccharis halimifolia).
(9)
Submergent vegetation, including, among others,
pondweeds (Potamogeton species), naiads (Naias species), bladderworts
(Utricularia species), wild celery (Vallisneria americana), coontail
(Ceratophyllum demersum), water milfoils (Myriophyllum species), muskgrass
(Chara species), stonewort (Nitella species), waterweeds (Elodea species)
and water smartweed (Polygonum amphibium).
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 definition or by dead vegetation as set forth in Subsection
B of this definition, the regulation of which is necessary to protect and preserve the aquatic and semiaquatic vegetation.
D.
The waters overlying the areas set forth in Subsections
A and
B and the lands underlying Subsection
C of this definition.
E.
Hydric soils, those that are:
(1)
Saturated, flooded or ponded long enough during
the growing season to develop anaerobic conditions that favor the
growth and regeneration of hydrophytic vegetation;
(2)
Flooded frequently (more than 50 times in 100
years for more than seven consecutive days on each occurrence during
the growing season);
(3)
Poorly drained (having the water table one foot
or less from the existing natural grade for at least seven consecutive
days during a growing season); or
(4)
Soils found in the Village of Southampton and
presumed to be hydric soils which are shown on Sheet Numbers 49, 62
and 73 in the United States Department of Agriculture, Soil Conservation
Service, Soil Survey of Suffolk County, 1975, and are known as:
F.
Hydrophytic vegetation as defined by the United
States Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service, in Classification
of Wetlands and Deepwater Habitat of the United States, December 1979,
and more specifically contained in Wetland Plants of the State of
New York, 1986, United States Department of the Interior, Fish and
Wildlife Service.
[Amended 12-14-1990 by L.L. No. 13-1990]
Without first having a obtained a wetlands (natural resource) special permit from the Village Zoning Board of Appeals and complying with Chapters
49,
54,
97 and
116 of the Village Code, no person shall commence a regulated activity within a wetland or a regulated area or:
A. Fill in, place or deposit or permit to be placed or
deposited, debris, fill, sand, gravel or any material, including structures,
into or upon, or within 150 feet of any boundary of any wetland, watercourse
or tidal water.
B. Clear, dig, dredge or in any other way add to, alter
or remove any material within 150 feet of any boundary of any wetland,
watercourse or tidal water.
C. Erect, construct, reconstruct, enlarge or alter any
structure, including but not limited to any groin, bulkhead, dock,
boathouse, residence, swimming pool or other accessory structure,
road or other improvement whatsoever in, on or under or within 150
feet of any boundary of any wetland, watercourse or tidal water.
D. Build, create or install any new cesspool, septic
tank leaching field, dry well or other in-ground sewage or other waste
disposal or storage system, including any pipe, conduit or other part
thereof or any aboveground or in-ground holding tank for any liquid
other than water and thereafter maintain, operate or make use of the
same in, upon or under or within 200 feet of any boundary of any wetland,
watercourse or tidal water.
E. Clear, grade, landscape, fertilize by any method or
physically disturb existing and/or indigenous vegetation within 125
feet of a boundary of a wetland.
F. Construct, create, eliminate, enlarge or diminish
in size any wetland, watercourse, pond or lake, whether man-made or
natural, by filling, dredging, damming or any other method whatsoever.
This subsection shall also be deemed to apply to artificially lined
ponds which are greater than 1,000 square feet in size or which, regardless
of size, are situate in the groundwater table.
[Amended 1-9-1998 by L.L. No. 1-1998]
A. The application fee for a wetlands special permit
application shall be $750 or such other amount as the Village Board
of Trustees may hereafter fix and establish from time to time by resolution.
[Amended 11-9-2006; 6-23-2009]
B. The applicant shall also bear the cost to the approving authority of professional review, when such expertise is required by the approving authority. In such cases where expert opinion is determined to be needed, the applicant shall be notified and a review fee paid to the approving authority before it may render a decision with respect to the completeness of the application. The review fee shall not exceed the limits imposed by Chapter
54, Environmental Quality Review, of the Village Code.
[Amended 8-13-2020 by L.L. No. 7-2020]
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 $3,000
for every such violation. Before assessment of the civil penalty,
the alleged violator shall be afforded a hearing or opportunity to
be heard before the approving authority upon due notice and with rights
to specification of the charges and representation by counsel.
B. Any civil penalty or order issued by an approving authority shall
be reviewed pursuant to Article 78 of the Civil Practice Law and Rules.
C. Any person who violates this chapter or fails to comply with any of its requirements shall, upon conviction thereof, be subject to the penalties provided in Article
II of Chapter
1 of the Code of the Village of Southampton.
D. The approving authority shall have the right to seek equitable relief
to restrain any violation or threatened violation of any provision
of this chapter.
Permits approved during the effective period
of the DEIS resolution preceding the enactment of this chapter shall
be given full force and effect after the adoption hereof.