This chapter shall be known as the "Wetlands and Stream Protection
Law of the Village of Montebello."
For the purpose of this chapter, wetlands are defined as all
lands and waters within the Village of Montebello, including but not
limited to any such lands and water hereafter designated on the New
York State Freshwater Wetlands Maps, or the National Wetland Inventory
Maps, 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," "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, bur-reeds, purple
loosestrife, swamp loosestrife and water plantain.
(4) Rooted, floating-leaved vegetation, including, among others, water
lily, 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 mil-foils, muskgrass, water
weeds 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 §
191-3A of this chapter or by dead vegetation as set forth in §
191-3B, the regulation of which is necessary to protect and preserve the aquatic and semiaquatic vegetation.
D. The waters overlying the areas set forth in §
191-3A and
B and the lands underlying §
191-3C of this chapter.
E. Any stream, watercourse or water body, classified as Class N, AA,
A, B, C, or D (with class either Special or Unmodified) under New
York Codes, Rules and Regulations, 6 NYCRR 701 et seq.
F. Lands and submerged lands containing poorly drained soils, as defined
by the United States Department of Agriculture Soil Conservation Service
(SCS) including, but not limited to, the following:
Poorly Drained Glacial Till
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Fredon
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Alden
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Muck Soils: Organic
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Carlisle
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Adrian
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Alluvium Soils
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Rippowam
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Sloan
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Except as provided in §
191-5 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 the associated Wetlands, Waterbodies and Streams Environmental Protection Overlay District (W-EPOD) as defined in §
195-63 of this Code, unless a permit is obtained from the Planning Board pursuant to the requirements of this chapter:
A. Permit required. It shall be unlawful for any person without a written
permit or permit waiver issued by the Village to alter the following:
(1) Any area within a W-EPOD containing a freshwater wetland 1/10 acre
or larger.
(2) Any vernal pool or area within 100 feet of a vernal pool.
(3) Any area within a W-EPOD containing a stream, watercourse or water
body, classified as Class N, AA, A, B, C, or D (with class either
Special or Unmodified) under New York Codes, Rules and Regulations
6 NYCRR 701 et seq.
(4) Any area within 50 feet of a natural intermittent watercourse or
stream that is running at least three months per year, or any other
unclassified stream under 6 NYCRR 701 et seq.
B. Activities subject to regulation within the W-EPOD under this chapter
shall include the following:
(1) Any form of draining, dredging, excavation or removal of material,
except removal of debris or refuse.
(2) Any form of depositing of any material such as but not limited to
soil, rock, debris, concrete, garbage, chemicals, etc.
(3) Erecting any building or structure of any kind, roads, paved areas,
or driveways, the driving of pilings or placing of any other obstructions
within a regulated area, whether or not they change the ebb and flow
of the water.
(4) Installing a septic tank, running a storm sewer outfall, discharging
sewage treatment effluent or other liquid waste into or so as to drain
into any wetland, water body or watercourse; drilling and digging
of wells, installation of any pipe or conduit.
(5) The use of any chemicals, dyes, fertilizers, herbicides or similar
materials, in any regulated area.
(6) Creating an increase or decrease in the flow, velocity or volume
of water in any watercourse or water body, excluding customary seasonal
raising and/or lowering of said watercourse or water body.
(7) Creating a diversion of water flow on any watercourse or water body.
(8) Introducing any influents of high thermal content, such that the
same are capable of causing deleterious ecological effect.
(9) Clear-cutting, landscaping, removal or replacement of naturally existing
native vegetation, at once or over time within a regulated freshwater
wetland or in a regulated area adjacent to a freshwater wetland, watercourse
or water body. These actions shall be reviewed by the Building Inspector
or Village Engineer to determine if such acts affect the prevailing
surface water runoff conditions, directly or indirectly.
The following activities are permitted by right within the W-EPOD,
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 New York State Freshwater Wetlands Maps, or the National Wetland Inventory Maps, 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 cuffing 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 insofar as federal and state regulations apply and shall not require a permit under §
191-4 of this chapter where otherwise regulated 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, landscaping, planting or mowing and pruning in previously
disturbed or landscaped areas where otherwise legally permitted; provided,
however, that any tillage or disturbance of soil or natural vegetation
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.
H. Actual uses that were legally preexisting upon adoption of this chapter
and are located within areas regulated by this chapter.
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.
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 $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 Planning Board upon due notice, and with rights
to specification of the charges and representation by counsel.
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 by a fine of not less than $500 nor more
than $1,000. For a second and each subsequent offense, the violator
shall be guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not less
than $1,000 nor more than $2,000, or a term of imprisonment of not
less than 15 days nor more than six months, or both. 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. Instead of or in addition to these punishments,
any offender may be punished 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.
E. The Village 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.
For the purpose of this chapter, certain words and terms used
herein are defined as follows:
AQUATIC RESOURCE
Any wetland, watercourse, or water body and associated buffers.
BUILDING
Any structure, or extension thereof or addition thereto,
having a roof supported by such things as columns, posts, piers or
walls and intended for the shelter, business, housing or enclosing
of persons, animals or property.
CODE INSPECTOR
The Building Inspector or such officer as may be designated
by the Village Board as Code Inspector or Code Enforcement Officer
or charged with enforcement of this chapter.
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.
MITIGATION
A way to avoid, minimize or compensate adverse impacts.
REGULATED AREA
Includes any freshwater wetland, watercourse or waterbody
and the W-EPOD area surrounding the same; or any vernal pool and the
area surrounding the same, for a horizontal distance of 100 feet from
the edge of the pool. All surfaces are measured horizontally in all
directions from the normal high-water mark of the edge of wetland
or top of stream bank. The regulated area is subject to the requirements
of this chapter.
STRUCTURE
A combination of materials constructed, assembled or erected
on, above or below the ground or attached to something having location
on, above or below the ground, including but not limited to buildings,
fences, tanks, towers and swimming pools.
VERNAL POOL
Small temporary bodies of standing water which are seasonally
flooded for sufficient periods of time to support amphibian reproduction,
but these periods of inundation are interspersed with dry phases.
Vernal pools which support viable breeding populations of amphibians
are regulated as wetlands.
WATER BODIES
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.
WATERCOURSES
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 LAW
The Chapter
195, Zoning, the Zoning Local Law in effect in the Village of Montebello.