Home

Back to Article List
TOWN SUPERVISOR ASKS FOR EMERGENCY POWERS
Release Date: June 17, 2004

Greenburgh Town Supervisor Paul Feiner will be asking the Greenburgh Town Board to develop legislation providing the Town Supervisor with "emergency powers" to overrule town staff - and to temporarily order developers/property owners to stop removing trees from their property if the Supervisor determines that the tree removal may be in violation of the tree code.Feiner believes that the temporary powers should last up to one week - providing the Town Board with the opportunity to make a final determination. This proposed legislation is inspired by circumstances that recently took place on Round Hill Road. A developer wants to take down more than 60 trees. Before the Town Board made a determination if the trees could be taken down -- the developer hired contractors and started to cut the trees. The property currently looks horrible --beautiful trees now look like lollipops. This past Tuesday the Greenburgh Town Board directed the Forestry Officer to issue a stop work order --but it was an action taken a bit late ---the tree damage has already taken place. Feiner believes that the proposed legislation would provide him with an opportunity to impose a "cooling off period" --would enable an elected official to put a stop to quality of life damages and would provide the Town Board with a chance to evaluate the appropriateness of trees coming down. Ultimately, the buck should stop with elected officials. Feiner also will be creating a committee of citizens familiar with the Round Hill situation to review the facts relating to Round Hill and to tighten up our current tree code so that this problem never occurs again.

©2024 Town of Greenburgh
View Full Website