Manorhaven approves trailer law, additional rules

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Manorhaven approves trailer law, additional rules
Four cases of the coronavirus have been confirmed in Manorhaven. (Photo courtesy of the Village of Manorhaven)

Manorhaven approved three new laws at Thursday’s Board of Trustees meeting, including an updated version of a law passed in April that loosened the regulations on using trailers as offices.

That law was Local Law 6 of 2018, which was mostly similar to the one passed at last month’s meeting, although the final version passed by the board includes a time limit for the temporary use permit: six months. After that period ends, the Board of Trustees has the ability to extend the permit for up to six months, and also to set a fee for that permit.

Previously, parking or maintaining a trailer in the village larger than five feet in width and eight feet in length was prohibited. But now the use of a trailer as an office would be temporarily permitted by the Building Department “upon showing of a hardship or other good cause.”

Last year, Blank Slate Media reported that Manorhaven did not impose fines on Dejana Industries for maintaining two trailers on company property. After the village did issue tickets in April 2017, a village judge dismissed the fines and said that the trailers were actually buildings and were therefore not illegal.

Manorhaven Mayor Jim Avena is the grant administrator for a charitable foundation run by Peter Dejana, who owned Dejana Industries until the company was sold in January. A company employee said last month that Dejana was searching for a new location.

The second law passed amended various parts of the code regarding where parking was prohibited in the village between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Thursdays and Fridays from March 15 through Dec. 15. It also created parking for subcompact cars and motorcycles at Marwood Road West, Norwood Road West and Hickory Road.

The third law passed banned the planting of bamboo in the village.

“It grows quickly and it spreads … and it becomes a nuisance,” Avena said.

All three laws will become effective upon filing with the secretary of state.

A fourth law that would regulate noise in Manorhaven was considered but not passed by the board. The amendment would establish a noise standard that would prevent residents from making a sound or noise that “may unreasonably annoy, disturb or otherwise disrupt the quiet, comfort or repose of persons in any dwelling.”

The proposed law would do this by limiting airborne sound in the residential district to 65 decibels between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. and 50 decibels for the remaining hours. For the commercial district, the limit would be 70 decibels between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. and 55 all other times.

Exceptions for this would be made for construction activities during the week and on Saturdays; church bells; “properly equipped” motor vehicles; snowblowers; lawful athletic or recreational events; activities sponsored by the schools, fire district or a village department; lawful fireworks displays; noncommercial public speaking events on public property; emergency repair work; and bus stations. Emergency signals and alarms audible for less than 15 minutes were also exempted.

The board decided to table the law after agreeing that it needed further refinement.

“We want to keep it specific as we can, but we also know that noise level isn’t as clear as throwing out the trash, or getting a speeding ticket,” Avena said.

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