Baldwinsville’s nuisance vehicle law was a hot topic at the July 19 village board meeting.
Code Enforcement Officer Gregg Humphrey recently served 44 village addresses with notices regarding the law, specifically those who were storing a seasonal vehicle (boat, recreational vehicle, etc.) in their side or front yard. As a result, nearly half the residents who received the letter attended the meeting to ask the board specifics about the violation.
According to the village code, the vehicles cannot be stored in front of the building line. However, Humphrey said there is some ambiguity as to what the building line is – the set back or the building itself – as well as other specifics of the law including what defines a seasonal vehicle as some people use campers all year round and what defines the front yard for people who live on corner lots.
After fielding phone calls regarding the notices, Gregg encouraged residents to attend the village board meeting to get a discussion started about the issues.
“I noticed there wasn’t a clear cut definition,” Humphrey said, after speaking with residents. “I asked them to come to the board so a discussion could begin. This is the way to do it – have people come in to speak to the board directly.”
The village board will review the law, which originated in 1970 and was revised in 1993. (The village is also in the process of reviewing the entire village code). If any changes are made to the code itself, those changes will be presented during a public hearing so residents can voice opinions either for or against the revision.
