Friends of the Greenburgh Library are hosting a pop up mini sale at the Greenburgh Library on Monday, April 9, Tuesday April 10 and Wednesday, April 11 All items 2/$1-- Great deal! We prefer that you do not drop off any donations during the sale. HONEY BEE KEEPING LAW APPROVED Earlier this week the Greenburgh Town Board unanimously approved a resolution (see below) authorizing beekeeping. We’re not the first community to allow beekeeping. Beekeeping is an increasingly popular hobby all around the world. There are so many great reasons to keep honey bees. Producing your own delicious honey, pollinating the plants and flowers in your own garden. Fewer bees… Beekeeping has been in the news lately, because of the threat to bees from 'Colony Collapse Disorder' (or CCD). This is where the worker bees inexplicably leave the hive and simply disappear, never to be seen again. About 1/3rd of bees in the USA have been lost. The issue is causing real concern for the future of the honey bee, and all the crops that rely on it for pollination - one third of all the food we eat is pollinated by honey bees. VIDEO WITH GREENBURGH NATURE CENTER BEEKEEPER ADVOCATE ON REASONS FOR THE LAW… (FROM LAST YEAR)… Paul Feiner RESOLUTION OF THE TOWN BOARD OF THE TOWN OF GREENBURGH ADOPTING A LOCAL LAW RELATED TO BEEKEEPING, AMENDING SECTION 285-36 OF THE ZONING ORDINANCE ENTITLED “SUPPLEMENTARY USE REGULATIONS” AND SECTION 285-10 OF THE ZONING ORDINANCE ENTITLED “ONE-FAMILY RESIDENCE DISTRICT” WHEREAS, the Town Board of the Town of Greenburgh finds it in the interest of the Town to amend the following sections of the Zoning Ordinance: Section 285-10, entitled, “One-Family Residence District,” and Section 28-36, entitled, “Supplementary use regulations,” to remove a restriction against bee keeping, and permit such practice in a safe manner in the Town of Greenburgh; and WHEREAS, on September 13, 2017, the Town Board adopted Resolution CD-3 – 09/13/17, (1) declaring its intent to act as Lead Agency for review of the amendment and all related actions under the State Environmental Quality Review Act (“SEQRA”) and (2) referring the Zoning Text Amendment to the Planning Board for report and recommendation; and WHEREAS, the Planning Board, at a regularly scheduled work session meetings on October 4, 2017 and October 18, 2017, discussed the proposed local law, and made a neutral recommendation to the Town Board associated with the proposed Zoning Text Amendment and issued a related report; and WHEREAS, on October 25, 2017, December 13, 2017 and January 24, 2018, the Town Board held a public hearing on the proposed Zoning Text Amendment; and WHEREAS, the Town Board conducted a coordinated SEQRA review (Planning Board, Westchester County – Interested Agencies) and analysis of the entire record, studying and documenting the potential environmental impacts associated with the proposed Zoning Text Amendment, and on February 28, 2018, adopted Resolution CD-2 – 02/28/18, thereby issuing a Negative Declaration with respect to SEQRA; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Town Board of the Town of Greenburgh hereby adopts the attached Local Law amending Section 285-10 of the Code of the Town of Greenburgh entitled “One-Family Residence District,” and Section 285-36, entitled “Supplementary use regulations,” to remove a restriction against beekeeping, and permit such practice in a safe manner in the Town of Greenburgh. TOWN of GREENBURGH Local Law No. 2/2018 A local law amending Chapter 285 of the Code of the Town of Greenburgh entitled “Zoning” pursuant to New York State Constitution Article IX and New York Municipal Home Rule Law Section 10, New York Environmental Conservation Law Article 8 (SEQR). BE IT ENACTED by the Town Board of the Town of Greenburgh: § 1. Title. § 2. Legislative Findings and Intent. § 3. Amendment to § 285-10A(3)(h). § 4. Amendment to § 285-36. § 5. Supersession. § 6. Severability. § 7. Effective Date. § 1. Title. This law is entitled “A local law amending Chapter 285 of the Code of the Town of Greenburgh entitled ‘Zoning.’” § 2. Legislative Findings and Intent. The Town Board of the Town of Greenburgh finds it in the interest of the Town to amend Chapter 285 of the Code of the Town of Greenburgh to remove the restriction against beekeeping, and permit such practice in a safe manner in the Town of Greenburgh. § 3. Amendments to Section 285-10A(3)(h): R-40 One-Family Residence District. Section 285-10A(3)(h) of the Code of the Town of Greenburgh is hereby amended as follows (deleted text in strikeout; new text underlined): A. Permitted uses. (3) Accessory uses. (h) On a lot containing a farm, the keeping of one horse or one cow per acre and a reasonable number of other farm animals, but excluding pigs, bees and fowl. 2 § 4. Amendments to Chapter 285-36: Supplementary use regulations. U. Beekeeping. The keeping of bees, upon registration through the Department of Community Development and Conservation, subject to the following: (1) Beekeeping shall be limited to the keeping of Honey Bees on properties of at least 10,000 sq. ft. in the One-Family Residence Districts. (2) Apiaries, which shall constitute a hive or hive-like structure having removable frames specifically designed, constructed and maintained for purposes of housing a Bee Colony, shall be located at least twenty feet from any property line, excluding the front property line. However, no Apiaries are permitted in a front yard. The Apiary’s entrance must face away from the property line closest to the beehive and must be situated to avoid unreasonable interference with pedestrian traffic. In instances where an abutting or adjacent resident provides medical documentation of a serious allergy to bee stings, to the satisfaction of the Town Attorney, the Apiary shall be located at least 250 feet from any property line. All Bee Colonies shall be kept in appropriately sized, designed and maintained Apiaries which shall be kept and maintained at all time in sound and usable condition. The prospective beekeeper shall have, or cause to have, a physical barrier such as a fence or hedgerow along an appropriate portion or entirety of the nearest property line of the Apiary. The orientation and location of the hives and applicable physical barrier shall be inspected by, and be to the satisfaction of, the Commissioner of the Department of Community Development and Conservation. (3) Applicants must notify abutting or adjacent property owners/current resident, by U.S. Mail, both by first class and by certified return receipt, at least one month prior to the registration process with the Department of Community Development and Conservation, notifying them of their intent to register and maintain an apiary or apiaries. A copy of a standard notification will be provided by the Department of Community Development and Conservation. A list of mailings shall be submitted as part of the Town registration process. (4) On lots 10,000 sq. ft. to 40,000 sq. ft. no more than two Apiaries shall be permitted. On lots greater than 40,000 sq. ft. no more than four Apiaries shall be permitted. (5) Commercial signage associated with any Apiary is prohibited. 3 (6) It shall be the duty of every Beekeeper: (a) to be educated in and strictly adhere to best management practices; (b) to maintain Bees, Bee Colonies and Apiaries in a location and condition that will prevent diseases and/or abandonment of the Apiary. Evidence of completed educational/training programs by the prospective beekeeper must be provided in connection with the applicable registration form, to the satisfaction of the Commissioner of the Department of Community Development and Conservation. (7) All Apiaries shall be registered annually with the Department of Community Development and Conservation on forms provided or approved by the Town; the purposes of such registration being to maintain a record of the number and location of each Apiary, to obtain the most current contact and credential/education information in connection with each Beekeeper and to obtain a certification from each Beekeeper acknowledging receipt of a copy of this Chapter and the most current rules and regulations that may be promulgated pursuant to this Chapter. A Beekeeper shall provide to the Department of Community Development and Conservation any updates to the information contained in the annual registration within 10 days of any change, including but not limited to the abandonment or potential change in location of any Apiary. (8) Any Beekeeper who violates any provisions of the registration/beekeeping process is subject to a revocation of their registration by the Building Inspector, following a finding by the Commissioner of the Department of Community Development and Conservation that the beekeeping activity unreasonably interferes with persons residing on adjacent property and/or constitutes a nuisance. § 5. Supersession. Pursuant to New York Municipal Home Rule Law Section 22, this law is intended to supersede any other inconsistent provision of law. § 6. Severability. If any clause, sentence, paragraph, subdivision, section or part of this law or the application to any person or circumstance shall be adjudged by any court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid or unconstitutional, such order or judgment shall not affect, impair or invalidate the remainder thereof, but shall be confined in its operation to the clause, sentence, paragraph, subdivision, section or part of this law, or its application to the person or circumstance directly involved in the controversy in which such order or judgment shall be rendered. § 7. Effective Date. This law shall take effect immediately upon filing with the Secretary of State.