Dering Harbor considers zoning changes: Budget coming up for review

The Dering Harbor Village Board of Trustees is focusing on clarifying and defining certain regulations.

For the past few meetings, changes have been discussed in the Zoning Code as to Permitted/Prohibited Uses, Driveways and Off-street Parking; Definitions: Lot Lines, Yards and Lot Coverage; and Trees and Vegetation.

At the March 13 board meeting, held via Zoom, the trustees opened a public hearing into the proposed changes. Some of the issues they sought to address include noise from residential parking areas being sited too close to neighbors’ properties. With regard to trees and vegetation, earlier practices had required village residents to get approval from a Trustee to remove trees from their property, if the tree exceeded 9 inches in diameter.

According to Mayor Patrick Parcells, the change would increase the tree size that could be removed without permission to 18 inches and up to 50% of vegetation. “For more than that, residents would have to come to the trustees for permission,” he said.

While preserving stately old trees, it would allow for the removal of invasive species.

Resident John Colby questioned how this would be monitored, asking “If I cut down a 12-inch tree and someone accuses me of removing a 19-inch tree, what happens?”

Mr. Parcells said that trees should be surveyed and marked for the record before removal. “But people cheat,” he said. In that case, the resident would be required to replace the tree.

Some residents questioned the need for changes and said they had limited knowledge that these were being considered by the board. Although the items have been on the agenda that appears on the village website, Kirk Ressler said he wouldn’t know to check the site if he hadn’t been alerted.

In order to provide as much information to residents as possible, Trustee Karen Kelsey asked if the village clerk could email residents to advise them that the items were on the website and scheduled for a vote at an upcoming meeting. Village Counsel Wayne Bruyn advised that this notification was a courtesy, not a legal requirement. The Public Hearing on the proposed laws was adjourned to the April 10 meeting.

Mayor Parcells reported on the preliminary 2022 budget, which will be posted on the village website and considered at a public hearing in April. The budget is expected to come in at $249,905, approximately a 2% reduction from the previous year’s budget of $255,555. The board approved a change in the local law that would be required if the budget exceeds a 2% increase over the previous year.

The board approved a law identifying the date and place for the 2021 election, which will be held on Friday, May 28, from noon to 9 p.m. at Village Hall.