The purpose of this article is to protect the public health, safety and welfare by establishing minimum standards governing the maintenance, appearance and condition of premises situated within the Town, whether used or intended to be used or designed to be used, in whole or in part, for residential, commercial, business or industrial use and occupancy, and to fix certain responsibilities and duties upon owners, operators and occupants in order to assure the desirable character of the property.
It shall be a violation of this chapter for any person, owner or occupant to create, cause, maintain or permit to continue any condition which is prohibited or otherwise inconsistent with the provisions of this section.
A. 
Open areas; parking spaces.
(1) 
Surface and subsurface water shall be appropriately drained to protect buildings and structures and to prevent the development of stagnant ponds. Gutters, culverts, catch basins, drain inlets, stormwater sewers, approved combined storm and sanitary sewers or other satisfactory drainage systems shall be utilized where necessary. No roof, surface or sanitary drainage shall create a structural, safety or health hazard by reason of construction, maintenance or manner of discharge.
(2) 
Fences, planting areas and other minor construction shall be maintained in a safe and substantial condition. Such maintenance shall include but not be limited to the replacement or removal of trees and shrubs which may die and/or otherwise be destroyed, and the replacement and/or repair of fences or other structures which may become in disrepair.
(3) 
Steps, walks, driveways, parking spaces and similar paved areas shall be in a proper state of repair, maintained so as to afford safe passage under normal use and weather conditions and shall be maintained free from hazardous conditions. Any holes or other hazards that may exist shall be filled or necessary repairs or replacement carried out.
(4) 
Yards, courts and vacant lots shall be kept clean and free of physical hazards, rodent harborage and infestation. They shall be maintained in a manner that will prevent dust or other particles from being blown about the neighborhood. Open wells, cesspools or cisterns shall be securely closed or barricaded from access to the public.
(5) 
All premises and immediate exterior property shall be maintained free from weeds or plant growth in excess of 10 inches. All noxious weeds are prohibited. Any trees or shrubs or portions thereof located on private property and constituting a hazard to persons or property shall be removed.
(6) 
A junked vehicle may not be parked, stored or left in the open. Unlicensed vehicles must be relocated to a completely enclosed location or otherwise removed from the property.
(7) 
That portion of the public right-of-way not covered by pavement or a similar surface and located between the portion of the right-of-way used for vehicular traffic and the boundary line of said right-of-way shall be maintained by the adjoining property owner. Such maintenance shall include but not be limited to the removal of litter, glass, paper and all other nonindigenous materials and the cutting of all weeds except trees, bushes and shrubs to a height of less than four inches. The requirements of this section shall be in addition to and not in lieu of the requirements of Chapter 48 of this Code.
(8) 
No person shall park any motor vehicle or boat in any front yard area except on driveways constructed and installed in compliance with the Town Code.
(9) 
The accumulation of any filth, dirt, ashes, junk, garbage, wastewater, raw sewage, sewage, wastepaper, dust, rubbish, sticks, stones, wood (including log piles exposed to the weather and elements), leaves, paper or paper boxes, iron, tin, nails, bottles or glass of any kind, old cars and parts thereof, discarded appliances such as refrigerators and the like is prohibited upon any premises.
(10) 
The exterior of the premises and all structures located on the premises shall be kept free of all nuisances and any hazards to the safety of occupants, pedestrians and other persons utilizing the premises and shall be free of unsanitary conditions.
(11) 
Approved methods of erosion control and stormwater retention shall be provided for on all properties and shall conform to the requirements of § 70-202.2. Where existing site conditions fail to control erosion and contain stormwater on site, appropriate corrective measures shall be taken.
B. 
Business units.
(1) 
Business units, as defined herein, shall at all times be maintained in compliance with the provisions of this code regulating open areas, parking spaces and buildings or structures.
(2) 
All garbage, crates, pallets, rubbish, refuse or debris shall be kept inside the building or buildings or on the premises in an acceptable enclosure and shall be regularly collected and removed from the premises.
[Amended 3-8-2011 by L.L. No. 3-2011]
(3) 
Storage of shopping baskets, carts and wagons shall be in compliance with § 70-202.4 of the Town Code.
[Amended 3-8-2011 by L.L. No. 3-2011]
(4) 
No mobile refrigeration unit shall be operated on the premises after the closing of the business conducted thereon unless such mobile refrigeration unit is electrically operated.
(5) 
No truck or other vehicle shall be loaded or unloaded outside the confines of the building or buildings on the premises, before 7:00 a.m. or after the business conducted on the premises has been closed to the public, in such manner as to cause excessive noise or disturbance to the adjoining properties. The loading and unloading area on the premises shall be enclosed at all times except where such area abuts a topographical barrier of such nature as to reduce the decibels of noise resulting from the loading or unloading activity. For the purposes of this section, a noise rating exceeding 25 decibels of average noise at the nearest residence to the premises shall be deemed excessive.
(6) 
All fences and planting areas installed on the premises of a business unit shall be maintained by the owner, occupant or person in control of the property. Such maintenance shall include but not be limited to the maintenance of trees and shrubs, the replacement of trees and shrubs which may die and/or otherwise be destroyed, the removal of vines, including ivy, to prevent it from encroaching or growing upon any adjoining or neighboring property or properties, including all public property and rights-of-way held by the Town, and to the replacement and/or repair of fences which may become in disrepair. The owner or occupant shall, upon written notice of the Enforcement Officer, maintain or replace any shrubbery and/or trees, take such measures as are reasonably expected to prevent such vines, including ivy, from invading or growing onto adjoining or neighboring properties, and/or replace or repair any fence installed on the premises.
[Amended 11-18-2021 by L.L. No. 24-2021]
(7) 
All required parking spaces must be adequately marked or striped as per the building permit, building and/or zoning ordinance or Board of Zoning and Appeals decision.
(8) 
No exterior storage of industrial or commercial materials, or other materials, or trucks or trailers is permitted in required parking spaces.
(9) 
Restaurants and other eating facilities shall have garbage containers sufficient in number for all of their solid waste and shall maintain them in satisfactory condition.
(10) 
A refrigerated garbage locker shall be required within any restaurant, bar and grill or retail food use. There shall be no outdoor storage of putrescible waste generated by any food use at any time. The applicant shall arrange for indoor carry-out/pickup with a licensed sanitation collector and shall forward a copy of the contract to the Building Official prior to the issuance of a certificate of occupancy. Terms used in this subsection that are not defined by this chapter shall have the meanings ascribed to them by § 70-231 of the Town Code.
[Added 1-29-2019 by L.L. No. 4-2019]
C. 
Buildings and structures.
(1) 
All exterior exposed surfaces not inherently resistant to deterioration shall be repaired, coated, treated or sealed to protect them from deterioration or weathering. Said surfaces, having once been coated with any finish such as paint, varnish, lacquer, etc., must be continuously maintained and recoated as necessary to keep uniformity of color and texture. Such surface shall be recoated in a workmanlike manner.
(2) 
Floors, walls, ceilings, stairs, furnishings and fixtures of buildings shall be maintained in a clean, safe and sanitary condition. Every floor, exterior wall, roof and porch, or appurtenance thereto, shall be maintained in a manner so as to prevent collapse of the same or injury to the occupants of the building or to the public.
(3) 
The foundation walls of every building shall be maintained in good repair and shall be structurally sound. All foundation walls shall be maintained plumb and free from open cracks and breaks and shall be kept in such condition so as to prevent the entry of rodents and other pests.
(4) 
Exterior walls, roofs and all openings around doors, windows, chimneys and other parts of a building shall be so maintained as to keep water from entering the building and to prevent undue heat loss from occupied areas. Materials which have been damaged or show evidence of dry rot or other deterioration shall be repaired or replaced and refinished in a workmanlike manner. Exterior walls, roofs and other parts of the building shall be free from holes, breaks, rotting material and loose and unsecured objects and material and improperly secured objects and material. Such objects or materials shall be removed, repaired or replaced.
(5) 
The owner of a vacated building shall take such steps and perform such acts as may be required of him from time to time to ensure that the building and its adjoining yards remain safe and secure and do not present a hazard to adjoining property or to the public. All openings shall be provided with painted exterior-grade plywood closures, securely fastened.
(6) 
Buildings and structures shall be maintained in such condition so that they shall not become an unoccupied hazard as defined in this code.
(7) 
All signs, awnings and lighting systems shall be maintained in a completely operable, clean, nondeteriorated and safe condition.
(8) 
All decorative pools and similar devices shall be maintained free of litter and operated as intended. Should the maintenance costs of such devices prove unacceptable, the device shall be removed.
(9) 
Fuel-burning or heat-producing equipment shall be installed and maintained so that the emissions or discharge into the atmosphere of smoke, dust particles, odors or other products of combustion will not create a nuisance or be detrimental to the health, comfort, safety or property of any person.
(10) 
Chimneys, flues and their supports shall be installed and maintained so as to be structurally safe, durable, smoke-tight, noncombustible and capable of withstanding the action of flue gases without softening, cracking or corroding.
(11) 
Air-conditioning units which are over any public opening shall have condensation piped away from the entranceway of same.
(12) 
Electrical fixtures, devices, wiring and systems shall be maintained in safe working condition, keeping in mind energy conservation, and shall be turned off when not in use, so as not to be a potential source of ignition of combustible material or an electric hazard or shock, and shall be properly connected to a reasonable and adequate source of electrical power.
(13) 
All plumbing fixtures, sanitary facilities, plumbing appliances and plumbing equipment shall be properly maintained in good working condition.
(14) 
If a sign is removed from the exterior of a building or structure, the area that was covered by the removed sign and now left exposed, even if a new sign is installed, shall be cleaned and maintained so that the exterior of the building or structure shall have a uniform color and texture.
(15) 
Any building or structure which is structurally unsound, unsanitary or which has become unsafe by reason of the elements, age, general deterioration, inadequate maintenance, dilapidation, obsolescence or abandonment, or which is otherwise dangerous to human life, shall be prohibited upon any premises.
It shall be unlawful for any person or persons to abandon, store, accumulate and/or maintain any industrial or commercial material, as defined herein, or to leave, cause, suffer, permit or maintain an excavation or trench, on any lot or premises, in an open, unsecured, unstable, dangerous or hazardous condition or place. Such industrial or commercial material or excavation or trench shall be effectively and properly fenced, shored or barricaded and shall be a sufficient distance from the property line so as to prevent the creation and/or maintenance of an unstable, unsafe or hazardous condition.
A. 
It shall be unlawful to spray or create graffiti in any manner on any building or structure.
B. 
It shall be the responsibility of any person owning or occupying any building or structure which has been defaced with graffiti to cause such graffiti to be removed or covered over. When a covering is used, the cover must be the same or similar color as the surface upon which the graffiti was made. Responsibility for removal or covering of graffiti shall lie with the owner or occupant, notwithstanding that said person may not have created the graffiti.
[Amended 9-6-2018 by L.L. No. 8-2018]
C. 
Any person who creates graffiti in any manner shall be liable for the cost of removing or covering the same.
D. 
Notwithstanding § 28-35 of this chapter, the required time for remedying a violation of this § 28-23.1 shall not be less than 10 days nor more than 45 days from the date of service of a notice of violation.
[Added 1-29-2019 by L.L. No. 4-2019]
A. 
Grounds, buildings and structures shall be maintained free of insect, vermin and rodent harborage and infestation. Methods used for exterminating insects, vermin and rodents shall conform with generally accepted practice. Sources of infestation or potential infestation by rodents, mosquitoes, flies, bees, wasps and other harmful or annoying insects shall be promptly removed.
B. 
Where the potential for rodent or vermin infestation exists, windows and other openings in basements and cellars shall be appropriately screened with wire mesh or other suitable materials.
C. 
From June 1 to October 1, entrances to residential buildings shall be provided with self-closing-type devices or screens, and windows and other openings used for ventilation shall be appropriately screened. Screens shall not be required in rooms located sufficiently high in the upper stories of multiple dwellings so as to be free of mosquitoes, flies and other flying insects.
It shall be prohibited to accumulate or store materials on fire escapes or stairs, in stairways or passageways, at doors or windows or in any other locations where, in the event of fire, such materials may obstruct egress of occupants or interfere with fire-fighting operations.
A. 
Adequate sanitary facilities and methods shall be used for the collection, storage, handling and disposal of garbage and refuse, in accordance with the provisions of the Town of North Hempstead.
B. 
In multiple dwellings, it shall be prohibited to store or accumulate garbage or refuse in public halls and stairways.
C. 
No refrigerator may be discarded, abandoned or stored in a place accessible to children without first removing any locking devices or the hinges of the door or doors.
All buildings, dwellings, dwelling units, multiple dwellings, yards, courts, open areas and vacant lots which are in violation of this code are hereby declared to be a nuisance and shall be abated by being corrected, made sanitary, repaired, vacated or demolished, in accordance with the orders of the Commissioner of the Building Department or the Commissioner of the Department of Public Safety.
Occupants of dwelling units shall be responsible for compliance with this chapter in regard to the following:
A. 
Limiting occupancy of that part of the premises which he occupies or controls to the maximum permitted by this code.
B. 
Maintenance of that part of the premises which he occupies or controls in a clean, sanitary and safe condition.
C. 
Maintenance of all plumbing, cooking and refrigeration fixtures and appliances, as well as other building equipment and storage facilities, in that part of the premises which he occupies or controls in a clean and sanitary condition and providing reasonable care in the operation and use thereof.
D. 
Keeping exits from his dwelling unit clear and unencumbered.
E. 
Disposal of garbage and refuse into provided facilities in a clean and sanitary manner, in accordance with the provisions of the Town of North Hempstead.
F. 
Extermination of insects, rodents or other pests within his dwelling unit.
G. 
Maintaining of yards, lawns and courts in a clean, sanitary and safe condition and free from infestation insofar as said occupant occupies or controls said yards, lawns and courts or any parts thereof.
H. 
The installation and removal of required screens.
I. 
Keeping his domestic animals and pets in an appropriate manner and under control.
J. 
Elimination of all prohibited uses for that part of the premises which he occupies, controls or has accessibility thereto.
A. 
Owners of premises shall be responsible for compliance with the provisions of this code and shall remain responsible therefor regardless of the fact that this code may also place certain responsibilities on operators and occupants and regardless of any agreements between owners and operators or occupants as to which party shall assume such responsibility.
B. 
Owners and operators of multiple dwellings shall be responsible for proper installation, maintenance, condition and operation of service facilities and for furnishing adequate heat and hot water supply where they have contracted to do so.
C. 
Whenever any person or persons shall be in actual possession of or have charge, care or control of any property within the Town as executor, administrator, trustee, guardian, operator or agent, such person shall be deemed and taken to be the owner or owners of said property within the true intent and meaning of this code and shall be bound to comply with the provisions of this code to the same extent as the record owner, and notice to any such person or any order or decision of the Enforcement Officer shall be deemed and taken to be a good and sufficient notice, as if such person or persons were actually the record owner or owners of such property. In instances where an occupant is responsible or shares responsibility with the owner for the existence of one or more violations of this code, said occupant shall be deemed and taken to be an owner within the true intent and meaning of this code.
D. 
Whenever residential buildings containing two or more dwelling units are leased, the owner shall post in a conspicuous place at the entrance or entrances thereof, and in such a manner as to secure against its removal, a placard containing thereon the name and address of the owner of the premises and that telephone number to be used in the event of an emergency.