Ordinance
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TOW N
o F
W A P PIN G E R
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SALVAGE
YARD
ORDINANCE
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AN ORDINANCE LICENSING AND REGULATING THE
ACTIVITillS AND BUSINESSES OF DEALERS IN
SECOND HAND MATERIALS, JUNK AND. USED PARTS.
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Adopted July 11, 1977
Amended June 18, 1984
SECTION I - LEGISLATIVE INTENT
By the adoption of this ordinance the Town Board
of the Town of Wappinger declares its intent in so
doing to be to regulate, control and license the
activities of" businesses known as auto "graveyards",
junk yards, second-hand parts collection areas, the
processing of used metals for resale, and the dump-
ing, storage, and disposal of waste, second-hand or
used materials of whatever composition. Said Town
Board hereby declares that such activities or
businesses can constitute a hazard to property and
persons and a public nuisance. Such materials may
be highly inflammable and sometimes explosive.
Gasoline tanks on old automobiles often contain in
some quantity combustible gasoline; the engin~ and
other parts of such automobiles are frequently
covered with grease and oil which is also inflammable.
The tires, plastic seats, tops and other elements of
such autos are also inflammable. Batteries and
other elements of such autos can contain acids and
other matter potentially harmful to humans. .These
autos frequently contain sharp metal or glass edges
or points upon which a human could receive serious
cuts and abrasions. These autos can constitute
attractive nuisances to children and certain adults.
The presence of such junk yards even in areas zoned .
for business or industry is unsightly and ~ends to
detract from value of surrounding land and property
unless such areas are properly maintained and
operated.
SECTION II - DEFINITIONS
AS USED IN THIS ORDINANCE:
(a) The term "person" shall mean an individual
an association, a partnership, or a corporation.
(b) The term "auto" shall mean,passenger auto,
truck, tractor-truck, trailer, bus, motorcycle, or
other vehicles, however propelled, as' ~ell as tractors,
bulldozers, machinery and equipment.
SECTIon III - LICENSE REQUIRED
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No person shall engage in or conduct on real
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property withi!"! the TmoJn of Wappinger either for him-
self or for and' on behalf of any other pers~n direct-
ly or indirectly as agent, employee, or otherwise any
activity or business either for profit or otherwise,
at wholesale or, retail, which involves the collection,
storage, burning, dumping, disassembling, dismantling,
salvaging, sorting or otherwise handling or arranging
for sale, resale storage or disposal, or otherwise of
bodies, engines, or parts of autos, or of any second
hand or used property of whatever material it is
composed or any waste material whether composed of
wood, paper, cloth, cardboard, plastics, metals, stone,
cement, or otherwise without first obtaining a license
therefor as hereinafter provided.
SECTION IV - APPLICATION FOR LICENSE
Each applicant for a license here under shall
execute, under oath, an application therefor to be
supplied to him by the Town Clerk, which shall con-
tain the following information: That the applicant
is over twenty-one (21) years of age, that he is a
citizen of the United states, and such other facts
or evidence as is deemed necessary to establish that
he is a person fit and capable of properly conduct-
ing the activity or business for which the license
is sought; a description of the exact type of busi-
ness he intends to conduct, the nature of the
materials he intends to handle; the number of
employees he intends to engage; and the name and
address of the owner or owners of the land and the
nature of the right of occupancy of the applica~t
to the use of such land.
At the time of making the application, and at
each annual renewal application, the applicant shall
submit to and file with the Town Clerk a map or plan
of the real property upon which he intends to conduct
the activity or business for which he is making
application for a license hereunder with the area of
such real property which it is proposed,to use for
such purpose, the location of the fence required
hereunder indicated thereon as well as the location
of any buildings on such land and the location of any
streets or highways abutting or passing through such
land and the location of any water, sewer or gas mains
or laterals available thereto as well as the general
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drainage pattern of such land.
In the application the applicant shall agree that
if granted the license applied for he will conduct the
activity or business pursuant to the regulations here-
inafter set forth and that upon his failure to do so
such license may be revoked after due notification
and hearing set forth in Section 5 hereof.
A person presently engaged in or conducting an
activity or business such as described herein, on real
property within the Town of Wappinger must apply for
a license therefor within 30 days of tIle adoption of
this ordinance.
If the person conducting such activity or busi-
ness is not the sole Owner thereof he shall state
such fact at the time he applies for his temporary
license and the Town Clerk at the time of issuing
such temporary license shall send the owners or each
of them a notice of the issuance of such temporary
license to such person together with a copy of this
ordinance.
No license shall be issued or renewed to any
person who, at the time of such application, is in
violation of any other local law or ordinance of the
Town of Wappinger or the County of Dutchess.
SECTION V - THE LICENSE
The fee for the license is hereby fixed in the
sum of $200.00 which sum covers not only the cost of
issuing the license itself but also the cost of
making the initial inspection of the premises to
ascertain compliance with the regulations herein-
after prescribed~ Any Subsequent inspection result-
ing from failure to comply shall cost $50.00 per
inspection. If non-compliance with this ordinance
shall exist thirty days after such initial inspection,
the application theretofore made shall be deemed to
be null and void and the applicant shall then cease
and desist from all types and manner ,16* junkyard
operation. '>:'
Such license shall be placed an~ at all times
displayed in a conspicuous place at the license's'
place of activity or business for which it is issued.
Such license shall be effective 'froll; the date of
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Jts isst\ullC:o lIntil l:ho J1st dl\Y o[ Docolllbol.' of t:llo
year of such issuance after which a new application
for license must be made yearly if licensee desires
to continue such ~ctivity or bUsiness.
Such license is personal with licensee. It
does not go with the title of the land nor may it
be sold, assigned, transferred or disposed of. The
granting of a license to a successor in interest or
a transferee shall not be arbitrarily withheld.
Such license may be revoked by the Town Board
after a public hearing thereon at which time the
licensee shall have an opportunity to be heard.
Upon revocation of'a license the Town Board may
require the removal of autos, parts and materials
left as above provided in the case of an applicant
for a temporary license who fails to qualify for a
license.
SECTION VI - REGULATIONS
SUBDIVISION A - The Licensee shall conduct such
activity or business in a manner to minimize the
fire hazard and to prevent improper trespass there-
on by children and others.
SUBDIVISION B - All materials dealt in by the
licensee shall be kept within the premises and if
such an area abuts a residential or COmmercial area
or a public street or highway, the licensee shall
erect a six foot fence, or hedge or other barrier,
not in itself inherently dangerous, adequate to
prohibit the unauthorized entrance of children or
others into th~ area of the activity or business.
All junkyard materials, equipment and struct-
ures shall be kept and maintained at least one
hundred feet from any residential boundary lines
of adjacent and contiguous properties, except that
crushing Operations and equipment shall be located
no closer than four hundred feet from any such
residential boundaries.
SUBDIVIS~ - The Licensee shall provide
sufficient fire lanes throughout the premises main-
tained to adequately permit entrance of a fire truck,
and all materials must be kept at least 10 feet from
tho boundary lines of the premises where the same
abuts a public street.
SUBDIVISION D - The auto parts and materials
dealt in by the Licensee shall be dis-assembled or
dismantled in a safe manner, and shall be piled or
arranged in neat rows so as to permit easy, clear
passage throughout the area. There shall be no
stacking of vehicles except for the absolute
minimum required for crushing operations.
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subject to a fine of $105.0~.
SU8DIVISION C - Any person violating this
ordinance shall be subject to q civil penalty en-
forc~able and collectible by the Town in the amount
of $100.00 for each such offense. Such penalty shall
be collectible by and in the name of the Town for each
day that such violation shall continue. .
SUBDIVISION D - In addition to the above prov~ded
penalties and punishment, the Town Board may also
maintain an action or proceeding in the name of the
Town in a court of compentent jurisdiction to compel
compliance with or to restrain by injuction the
violation of such ordinance.
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SUBDIVISION E - There shall be maintained at
each such place of activity or business for which
a license is issued at least one (1) fire extinquisher
of approved design and capacity for each 40,000
square feet of area in active use. Each such fire
extinguisher shall be hung or mounted" in a conspicuous
place, clearly marked and available.
SUBDIVISION F - The Licensee shall keep the
premises properly supervised and when not so super-
vised shall take adequate precautions to prevent the
entry of children or others into the area.
SUBDIVISION G - The area of the licensee's
activity or business shall not be used as a garbage
area or as a place for the burning and disposal of
garbage.
SUBDIVISION H - The town police, the Town Clerk,
or the T~~n Board or any of its representatives shall
be granted access to the area of activity or busi-
ness of the licensee at all reasonable hours to
inspect the same for compliance herewith.
SECTION VIII - REPEAL
All ordinances or regulations heretofore adopted
in conflict with this ordinance are hereby repealed.
SECTION IX - SAVING CLAUSE
SECTION VII - VIOLATION OF ORDINANCE AN OFFENSE:
PENALTIES THEREFOR
In any clause, sentence, paragraph, section, or
part of this ordinance shall be adjudged by any court
of competent jurisdiction to be invalid, such judge-
ment shall not affect, impair, or invalidate the
remainder thereof, but shall be confined in its
operation to the clause, sentence, paragraph,' section
or part thereof directly involved in the controversary
in which such jUdgement shall have been rendered.
SECTION X - EFFECTIVE DATE
SUBDIVISION A - The owner or licensee of any
such place of business who commits or permits any
acts in violation of any of the provisions of this
ordinance shall be deemed to have committed an
offense against such ordinance, and also shall be
liable for any such violation or the penalty there-
for. Each day such violation shall continue or be
permitted to exist shall constitute a separate
violation, after a ten day notification duly served
on the owner thereof. .,
SUBDIVISION B - For every violation of any pro-
vision of this ordinance the person, entity,. corpor-
ation, or partnership violating the same shall be
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This ordinance shall take effect ten days after
publication and posting or immediately upon personal
service as provided by Section 133 of the Town Law.
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ORDINANCE LIMITING HOURS
OF OPERATION OF JUNKYARDS
SECTION I - DEFINITIONS
For the purpose of this section, a "Junkyard" shall
have the same definition and meaning as that set forth
in the General Municipal Law Section 136, Subdivision 2.
SECTION II - HOURS OF OPERATION
The hours of operation of any junkyard within the
Town of Wappinger shall be limited to those hours
commencing at 7:00 A.M. in the morning and ending at
7:00 P.M. in the evening.
SECTION III - PENALTIES AND VIOLATIONS
Violators of any portion of this ordinance shall be
guilty of an offense punishable by a fine for the first
offense not exceeding $50.00, for the seCond offense,
not exceeding $100.00 and for the third offense, not
exceeding $250.00. In addition thereto, the Tawn Board
in its discretion, after due notice and opportunity for
a hearing, may terminate any license previously issued
to any junkyard found guilty of three offenses within
eighteen months.
SECTION IV - EFFECTIVE DATE
This ordinance shall become effective upon filing,
posting and publication as prescribed by Article 9 of
the Town.Law.
Adopted May 14, 1979
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