By JEFF MEYERS
Staff Writer
April 13, 2008 04:00 am
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รข Hearings focus on adult entertainment, outdoor wood boilers
PERU -- Officials from the Town of Peru will host a pair of public hearings Monday evening on zoning regulations for adult entertainment and outdoor wood boilers.
The Town Council, with support from the town's Comprehensive Planning Committee, has developed local laws on both topics and will be seeking input from residents before voting to adopt the laws.
It is not clear whether the vote will be conducted at Monday's regular meeting or at a subsequent meeting May 8.
The hearing on adult-entertainment use will begin at 6:15 p.m. The law will prohibit adult-oriented businesses from opening anywhere in the town except Industrial-Commercial (I-C) districts.
"Industrial-commercial (districts) allows for the development of plants, shopping centers and entertainment opportunities to broaden the town's tax base," said Paul Blaine, the town's Codes Enforcement Officer.
There are currently two I-C districts in the town, both near Bear Swamp Road and Exit 35 off I-87.
Anyone wishing to open an adult business, such as a book or video store, motion-picture or media center or a live nudity business, would have to go through both the town's Zoning Board of Appeals and a Site Review by the Planning Board, the law states.
"The Zoning Board will look to see if it's in a proper area for adult use," Blaine said of any request for such a business. It would have to be a minimum of 500 feet from any residential zone and 1,000 feet from any other adult establishments, he added.
Town officials have placed a moratorium on any adult businesses from opening for the past several years while they have pondered exactly where such businesses should be zoned.
Their argument has been that a comprehensive zoning plan has to include adult usage, or business owners might be able to open in other areas where they might be detrimental to the community.
The second hearing on outdoor wood boilers is scheduled for 6:30 p.m.
The issue has faced some controversy in Peru and throughout the North Country as opponents have voiced concerns about environmental impacts and proponents have pointed to economic advantages for residential users.
"I think the town has done a very good job with this law," Blaine said. "It addresses issues that people have been concerned about."
The law will ban any outdoor wood boilers in the hamlet itself and within 1,000 feet of the hamlet. Blaine said he knows of two boilers currently in the hamlet that would have to be shut down if the law is enacted.
Outside that area, boilers can be used only for residential one- and two-family homes, he added. Anyone wishing to construct a boiler would have to obtain a building permit after a site-plan review by the zoning officer.
They would have to be placed 200 feet from the nearest adjoining side and rear lot lines and 150 feet from the front lot line. They would also have to be placed in the backyard and screened from the road.
Chimneys will require spark arrestors and must be a minimum of 15 feet tall to reduce the impact from smoke on area residents.
Any existing boiler owners will have one year to apply for a permit and meet the established requirements. Owners will have 90 days to notify the codes-enforcement officer of the existence of a boiler on their property.
The town's regular meeting is set to begin at 7 p.m. Monday.
jmeyers@pressrepublican.com
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