PROPER MAINTENANCE OF A CESSPOOL IS ESSENTIAL. Do not dispose of animal fats, vegetable oils, or waste water used in "stripping" off wax from vinyl floor tiles. into your cesspool, nor is it suggested that a kitchen sink food disposal be used. Fatty oils coat the sides of your cesspool and seep into the sand surrounding the cesspool, clogging it up and preventing proper percolation. The enzymes and bacteria within the pool, break down the fatty oils in time, but they are killed by harsh detergents, ammonia, and chlorine bleaches. The best place for waste water after cleaning the kitchen or cellar floor is in your driveway or on your grass, not down the kitchen sink.
If you have a problem with your cesspool, refrain from using detergents in your clothes washing machine. Use enzyme conditioner from your local hardware store and/or "Mayor Walter's" cesspool rejuvenator recipe. a mixture of two packages dry yeast. 1/2 cup sugar, two cups warm (not hot) non-fat milk or water, and 1/2 cup flour, mixed in a bowl, placed in a slightly warm oven for two hours, (stir lightly after the first hour). stir once more, then pour some down each toilet and flush; pour some into your kitchen sink drain (without rinsing) to "sweeten" the waste piping and breakdown the grease build-up in your piping. This puts new yeast enzymes into your cesspool to start breaking down the fats; then refrain from using detergents for a day or two. Before you go on vacation, make a double batch and use it the last thing you before you leave the house: it will work wonders for your piping and cesspool while you are away.
DOG AND PET OWNERS' INFORMATION: STRAY, UNLEASHED, AND LEASHED DOGS: The Village has a "POOPER-SCOOPER" law which requires all solid feces be picked up by the dog's owner, except within the dog owner's personal property boundaries; please note that the property (usually between 8 feet to 15 feet deep) along the road in your front yard belongs to the Village and is not part of a homeowner's personal property. The law also states that you may not allow your dog to soil anyone else's property without their written permission. In fact, the law permits dogs to defecate ONLY on Village road curbs, and requires the dog owner to remove any solid feces and deposit them in the dog owner's garbage. The Village employees have complained that homeowners are allowing their dogs to soil Village rights-of-way (adjoining vacant land, on traffic "islands". etc.). and when they have to cut the grass, it creates a very objectionable situation for them.
The, matter of unleashed dogs is a very serious problem within the Village. Those people who allow their dogs to run loose should have some courtesy for their neighbors and restrain their animals with leashes, and not allow them to soil other people's lawns or the roads. Hardly a day goes by without some resident calling the Village to complain about a neighbor who allows his dog to run about scaring children, soiling lawns, scratching up flower beds, etc. and attacking other animals properly being walked on leashes. We all want our Village to be a friendly place, where neighbors do not take advantage of other neighbors, and courtesy prevails. The residents (who allow their dogs to run loose) know who they are, and we ask them on behalf of all the rest of us to show some courtesy and obey the ordinances. There are expensive fines for noncompliance, returnable in Village Court, and loose animals, if caught, will be impounded by the Town Animal Warden; plus, the fee for retrieving your animal from the Town Animal Shelter is substantial. All dogs must be licensed by the Town of North Hempstead and dogs and cats must have rabies shots and wear ID. tags.
INFORMATION ON INSTALLATION OF SWIMMING POOLS AND TENNIS COURTS: The Village has a special building code regarding the installation of both swimming pools and tennis courts. Specifically, setback requirements from your property line and area coverage requirements almost preclude the installation of tennis courts on any lot size less than 3/4 acre, and the installation of swimming pools on any lot size less than 1/2 acre.
Building Permits are required before installation can begin, and a swimming pool or tennis court built without first obtaining a Building Permit will most likely have to be removed at a later date, if it can not qualify under the then-current Village Building Code regulations.
Without a new Certificate of Occupancy showing any accessory structures on the Survey, your home will be unsaleable, as the new owner will always require a valid Certificate of Occupancy for all structures on the premises.
Please check with the Village Clerk for the specific requirements on the installation of swimming pools and tennis courts, and specific fence, drainage and lighting regulations.
INFORMATION ON INSTALLATION: ACCESSORY STRUCTURES, SHEDS, STAND-ALONE GARAGES: Constructing a tool shed, detached garage, play house, gazebo or similar "structure", or a raised or permanent wood or masonry patio or deck, requires a Building Permit from the Village. These types of construction are considered "Accessory Structures" under the Village Zoning Code and must conform to side and rear yard setbacks, depending upon the zone in which the plot of land is located. Quite often, residents unknowingly buy a tool shed from Sears, Roebuck, or have a carpenter build a lawn equipment storage shed for them, only to find out later on that it has to be taken down because it violates the Village Zoning Law.
The same situation occurs when installing retaining walls, tennis courts, and swimming pools. These are all considered "Accessory structures'' under the present Village Code. There are specific requirements for these type of structures in the Village Code and special set-back restrictions: check with the Village Office.
ALL "STRUCTURES" MUST BE LOCATED AWAY FROM SIDE AND REAR PROPERTY LINES AT DISTANCES PRESCRIBED IN THE ZONING CODE.
Please check with the Village Clerk before making any additions to your premises, as it will save unnecessary fines, the expense of a public hearing before the Village Board of Zoning Appeals, and the very likely possibility that the structure will have to be dismantled and removed.
STORAGE OF VEHICLES AND BOATS: It is against the Village Code to store any boat or any truck, van (without side windows), other commercial vehicle, or any unregistered vehicle, in a front or side yard , motor home, or recreational vehicle on the property of any property owner, whether or not covered by a tarpaulin, unless the same can be completely stored within a garage or other structure which completely encloses and hides said object, or placed behind the house where it is not visible from the street.
SECURITY PROCEDURES SUGGESTED BY SECURITY & FIRE PROTECTION PROFESSIONALS: Burglaries (no occupants at home) and robberies (face to face) seem to occur in "spurts"; one successful occurrence begets additional occurrences. Sometimes the crook will concentrate on a certain area and then move to another area. The best defense against burglaries and robberies is "NOSY NEIGHBORS". Be conscious about "strange" cars parked in the street especially with passengers inside for any length of time: be observant of people driving slowly back and forth in an area; note the vehicle license numbers car make/model and color. Mark them down on a piece of scrap paper and save it for future reference, in case an incident occurs nearby several weeks later. Obtain VFH stickers from the Village and put them on your rear bumper, indicating your "Flower Hill Vehicles", to further help identify out-of-Village vehicles. Do not leave ladders outside your house; they can be used to climb in to your house or your neighbor's house, and they in-cite larceny. Install deadbolt locks on all outside doors. If you get an alarm system, get one that protects all the windows and doors and skylights. An alarm system with multiple zones. and one which allows windows to remain open partially yet still alarmed, makes it convenient to turn off a window/door and still keep the balance of your alarm system on all the time. If your alarm system malfunctions, get it fixed properly so that it can be trusted: then, if your alarm system "trips" when you are home, let it ring until you are absolutely sure no one is in the house.
BE AWARE! Make it difficult enough for intruders and they will go where breaking in is easier. UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCE, NEVER OPEN THE DOOR TO ANYONE YOU DO NOT KNOW! If anyone needs help, speak to them from inside your house, and make the phone call for them yourself: do not let them in to make any calls. Beware of nicely dressed people asking information at your front door. Let your neighbors know when you plan to be away for vacation, they can pick up unexpected deliveries, newspapers, PENNYSAVERS, etc. and add a bag of their garbage to your garbage can once in a while: all of which would indicate to others that you are not away on vacation. Good neighbors are invaluable to forestall a successful crime.
IF YOU WANT THE POLICE TO COME, CALL 911. Do not call the local precinct, as this will only delay response time. Only if you want to give information to the Police Department about suspicious vehicles, etc., should you call the Sixth Police Precinct which serves Flower Hill at 573-6600; not 911. Keep your house well lit inside and outside. Motion-sensing lights on the outside of your house are effective; motion-sensing alarms on the inside of your house are only effective when you are not at home because you turn them off when you are home. Sirens or bells that ring outside your home must have a timer to reset them or shut them off after 15 minutes. Make sure you HAVE YOUR HOUSE NUMBER CLEARLY VISIBLE on a mailbox or lightpost near the street, as it is difficult for emergency vehicles to find your home, especially at night, if they cannot see your house number. Give the nearest cross street to the Police or Fire Department (call 911) when calling in an emergency. You MUST obtain a Burglar Alarm Permit from Nassau County before installing any outside bell or siren or alarm dialer to the police or an alarm company's monitoring office.
Fire alarms in residential homes are designed to save lives firstly, property secondly. Install smoke alarms near bedrooms and at the top of stairs, and make sure they are working and regularly tested. Change batteries once a year, whether they need it or not. If you have a wired fire alarm system, make sure it rings a loud horn in your house to wake you. Before any fire alarm can have a device to automatically call the Fire Department, it must first be approved by your local Fire Department. False alarms for fires are a severe handicap to volunteer fire fighters and put them at unnecessary personal risk. Make sure you have an escape plan in case of fire. Pull the plug on all TV sets and VCR's when you leave on vacation.
HEALTH AND SANITATION INFORMATION:
RODENTS, PESTS, ETC.: Certain residents have indicated that the rodent population around their homes has been increasing. The Health Department has not given us any insight as to why that may be so, except to indicate that rodents are attracted by easy sources of food and generally nest near the source of food, not traveling large distances between their nesting sites and the food source. Eliminating sources of food and easy nesting sites is the recommended method to reduce the rodent population, once extermination has taken place. Wood-piles, leaf-piles, decaying railroad-tie retaining walls etc. are good nesting sites. Fruit trees, insect grubs in the lawn (under the sod) and easy access to garbage cans are the main sources of food. Raccoons have a special fondness for Cinch Bugs in the lawn, and for underground type garbage cans where they can lift the covers up with their own strength. Bird seed spread on the ground or in feeders that are not rodent-proof are a certain invitation. Many residents have told us that if they or their immediate neighbors own "outside'' cats. they do not have a rodent problem. Residents who have a continuing problem with rats, specifically, should contact an exterminator to set out "pet-proof" poisoned bait sources and embark on a program of eliminating the food sources and nesting sites described above. Neither the Village nor the County Health Department provide for extermination on private property.
GARBAGE, LEAF, AND RUBBISH PICK-UP:
The current Village garbage contractor is:
Meadow Carting tel. (516) 338-0121.
Collection/office times: Monday thru Saturday 7 AM to 4 PM
Regular garbage is picked up (not at the curbside but next to your home - usually near your garage) by the Village's garbage contractor either on Mon/Wed/Fri. or on Tue/Thu/Sat., depending on the street on which you live. Rubbish (furniture, appliances, etc.) is picked up once a week (at the curb only); you must first call the Village garbage contractor at the above telephone number, to schedule a pick-up. Construction refuse will not be picked up by the Village garbage contractor: you must make separate arrangements and pay for for this type of pick-up with the Village contractor or private contractor. The Village's garbage contractor is NOT required to pick up any yard waste put out by a property owner's landscaper, only waste personally collected by the owner. Leaves must be securely bagged and put at the curb. "Fall cleanup" leaf pick-up is scheduled once a week for six weeks starting the first week in November; large quantities of yard waste will not be picked up at other times. Trees (except discarded Christmas trees) and large shrubs will not be picked up by the Village contractor; only small limbs and branches cut by homeowners during pruning will be taken, and ONLY if securely tied in four foot or less diameter bunches weighing less than fifty pounds per bundle. If your garbage is hard to find because it is buried underground in containers, or for whatever other reason, you must understand that if your regular garbage collection man is sick or on vacation, his temporary replacement may not be able to find your garbage. Recycling is mandatory in the Village, Cans, glass bottles, and plastic bottles (ALL OF WHICH HAVE BEEN CLEANED) and newspapers, MUST BE RECYCLED. The Village has provided one special orange (or green) plastic container per household (additional containers are available from the Village at nominal cost), which is to be used ONLY to contain your recyclables for collection. You may use other containers as well if the orange bucket is insufficient: newspapers should be bundled and tied (no magazines) and they can be put in brown paper bags but not plastic bags or boxes. Recyclables are picked up along with the regular garbage pick up whenever your bucket is more than 1/2 full. Newspapers weighing more than 30 lbs. put out for collection at any one time, should be placed out at the curb.
SPECIAL PERMITS REQUIRED FOR CERTAIN ACTIVITIES WITHIN THE VILLAGE:
BUILDING PERMITS: A Building Permit is required whenever: a) there is a change to the structure of a building; b) a new building is being built; c) a new bathroom is installed; d) a central air-conditioning system is added; e) a heating system is changed from gas to oil or vice-versa; f) a slate roof is being installed on top of or in place of an asphalt shingle roof; g) a swimming pool or tennis court is to be installed; h) a permanent concrete, slate or raised wood patio is installed or extended; i) the basic "foot print" of the structure is increased or reduced; j) masonry siding is installed to replace non-masonry siding; k) dry wells are added; and 1) an "accessory structure" (tool shed, gazebo, non-attached garage, etc.) is added. Before any construction can start, the property owner must obtain an approved Building Permit from the Village Hall, file the required plans, specifications and insurance certificates with the Village, and pay the required fee, A Building Permit is not generally required for: a) plumbing repairs which do not add any additional plumbing fixtures; replacement of existing windows, provided no additional windows are added. the size of the existing window opening does not change, and/or the window repair/replacement does not extend outward past the original line of the existing window(s): b) the repair or addition of wood or vinyl siding over existing wood siding (except if replaced by aluminum siding or masonry siding, both of which require a Building Permit): c) the repair and paving of existing driveways, provided the driveway is not extended more than 10% of its original size and/or that the size of the curb cut is not changed. The repair or replacement of a cesspool(s), however, requires a special Cesspool Permit.
All construction operations (except of an emergency nature, for which special permission must be obtained from the Village as soon as practically possible from the time construction commences), can only be done during the hours of 8am-6pm Mon-Fri and 8am-6pm Sat. ( 49-2 G of the Village Code). No construction equipment may be turned on (for warming up or movement within the property) prior to 8:00 AM, Monday through Friday. Materials may NOT be delivered to the property prior to 8:00 AM.
During the construction, repair, and/or renovation of any building, the owner must ensure that debris. mud, water, concrete washings, and the like, must not be tracked or allowed to spill over on to any Village street: should such occur, the owner will be responsible for the immediate clean up of such debris.
Building Permits are issued for a period of nine months with the right to request to renew for an additional six month term. The Village requires that the owner specify the TRUE amount of the cost of the construction involved, and will require that the owner substantiate such cost.
FENCE AND RETAINING WALL PERMITS: A permit is required for the construction of any fence within the Village and for the construction of any retaining wall. Fences less than five feet in height may be installed adjoining the side and rear property lines without violating the side and rear yard restrictions under the Village Zoning Code; however, the property owner must observe the following conditions: (a) the fence must be entirely located within the property of the owner of the fence; (b) the "good" side of the fence must face outward toward the neighbor(s) property; and (c) the fence may not exceed five feet in height measured from the top of every part of the fence and the vertical distance to the ground on the neighbors' side. Any fence higher than five feet and any fence other than post and rail or more than four feet high in the front yard must be approved by the Zoning Board of Appeals. Special requirements for fencing around tennis courts are covered under 74-5 of the Village Code and special regulations requiring fencing around swimming pools are covered under 69-13 and 69-14 of the Village Code.
Before any retaining wall (whether made of wood or masonry) can be built within the Village. the property owner must submit a detailed plan of such wall to the Village to determine whether or not a permit for its construction is necessary. Building any retaining wall without first receiving a permit or a letter from the Village Inspector stating that a permit is not required for the specific construction contemplated, could subject a property owner to a fine and the requirement to remove the retaining wall. In no case may a retaining wall be built in the front yard without permission from the Village Planning Board or Zoning Board of Appeals, if such retaining wall violates the front yard setback requirements of the Village. This includes timber retaining walls used for landscaping purposes.
DUMPSTER PERMITS: A permit is required for the placing of any Dumpster on residential property within the Village; such permits restrict the places where such Dumpsters may be placed, the length of time they can remain, and other general regulations regarding the health, safety and welfare of the community. No dumpster or storage container may be placed in the roadway of any Village street. A nominal fee is charged for the Dumpster permit, and is good for the first 30 days. Additional 30 day extensions are available after payment of a renewal fee.
GARAGE, TAG SALES AND AUCTIONS: The Village requires a permit to be issued for such for a nominal fee, to ensure that such sales are held on a limited basis and not to carry on a business.
REQUESTS FOR BLOCK PARTIES AND SPECIAL EVENTS RESTRICTING ACCESS TO STREETS: The Board of Trustees of the Village will consider requests for street closings, parades, charity events, block parties, etc. provided such requests are made sufficiently prior to the scheduled event that the Trustees can consider any such requests at a regularly scheduled Board meeting, and that such event is in keeping with the residential character of the Village, has the majority support of the residents affected, and will not adversely affect the health, safety and welfare of the community.
INFORMATION ON VILLAGE NOISE, AND LITTERING ORDINANCES: Strict ordinances are in effect regulating the amount of noise anyone can create within the Village when such noise can affect the peace and quiet of the surrounding neighborhood (Chapter 49 of the Village Code). The following are some of the prohibited acts within the Village:
A. The sounding of any horn or siren on any vehicle on any public street, except as a warning signal.
B. The operation of any radio, phonograph, or similar device, or any musical instrument, in any manner or with such volume (particularly between 11:00 PM and 7:00 AM) as to annoy or disturb surrounding neighbors. The directing of any loudspeaker from within the home of any property owner toward the outside, through a window, door or other opening, or the erection of any loud speaker on the outside of a property owner's premises, any of which is played or operated in a fashion that the sound therefrom is projected on to and/or can be heard from, a neighbor's roperty, so as to annoy the peace and quiet enjoyment of such neighbor, between the ours of 11:00 PM and 9:00 AM.
C. The holding of any party. affair, etc., within the Village which creates a noise level or commotion or the like, which interferes with the peace and quiet enjoyment of a nearby property owner.
D. The operation of any motor vehicle, motorcycle, engine, or the like. within the Village, which produces a noise sufficient to disturb the peace and quiet enjoyment of nearby property owners.
E. The operation of any alarm bell/siren from a motor vehicle, home, or any other similar device which does not automatically reset (and remain off until a subsequent burglary, fire or entry attempt is made) within a period of fifteen minutes, or which continues to "recycle" for subsequent period(s) of time and/or operates in a continuous manner longer than fifteen minutes.
LITTERING: It is against the Village Code to throw, scatter, place, or in any other way dispose of any trash. rubbish, garbage and the like, or distribute newspapers, circulars, throw-aways, shopping leaflets and the like on any Village property and/or on any private property, without the prior permission of the property owner (Chapter 46 of the Village Code).
INFORMATION ON VILLAGE DRAINAGE ORDINANCES: All roof drains, swimming pool drains, sanitary drains (with the exception of certain areas within the Village which are connected directly to the Port Washington sanitary sewer system), installed for the drainage of household or commercial waste water must be completely drained and dissipated within the confines of a property owner's property. It is against the Village Code to direct any pipes from roof drainage, swimming pools, drywells, sump pumps or cesspools on to any Village street. Similarly, it is against law to allow, direct, or permit any contractor, swimming pool company, cesspool contractor, or plumber. to dispose of any water, drainage, sewerage or the like, on any public street within the Village or on to any neighbor ' s property, without their prior written permission. Every swimming pool within the Village must have its own independent drainage system capable of draining the ENTIRE swimming pool for cleaning, backwash, or emptying purposes. Should any contractor violate any of the provisions of this ordinance, it would subject the property owner to a fine for such violation, even though the offense was committed by a contractor. The Village, upon finding such violation may, in addition to issuing a Summons for such offense, block up any such pipes directed toward the Village streets.
Currently, there is no requirement that property owners' driveways be drained within the boundaries of the property owner's property, so long as the driveway pitch follows the natural topography of the land; the same applies to lawn drains which are designed to control natural erosion. However, sump pumps and roof leaders directed on to driveways which then pitch so as to direct the flow of water on to a Village street are not in accordance with the Village Code; property owners having such drainage constructions may, at the sole discretion of the Village, be directed to remove same (especially if such installation results in a percentage of the total water drainage of the roof, or an amount of water discharged from a sump pump, which the Village deems, in its sole judgment, to be unreasonable and/or detrimental to the health, welfare and safety of its residents).
Copyright 1991, 1994, 1998; John W. Walter, Mayor 1988 - 1996 (Revised 8/98)
