Coalition
Members

Apolacon Twp..
Bridgewater Twp.
Choconut Twp.
Forest Lake Twp.
Franklin Twp.
Jessup Twp.
Liberty Twp.
Middletown Twp.
Rush Twp.
Silver Lake Twp
Friendsville
Little Meadows
Montrose

SHORELINE PROTECTION ORDINANCES

Other ordinances can protect shoreline areas of lakes during development. Conservation-oriented development consists of grouping shoreline structures into specific areas of a land parcel while maintaining open space in more environmentally sensitive areas. Dwellings are located further back from the immediate shoreline, so that more open space and ground cover is maintained for purposes of providing for wildlife habitat and scenic beauty, and mitigating impacts of upland development on lake water quality. Reducing lot sizes in areas serviced by water and wastewater infrastructure allows for more concentrated growth in an area suited for development while conserving other lands that may have physical limitations for growth, or lack services.

MONITORING AND REGULATION OF ON-SITE WASTEWATER TREATMENT SYSTEMS (OWTS)

Monitoring and regulating OWTS can gauge the adequacy of systems and encourage or enable replacements where warranted. (LPA) Ordinances can establish minimum separation distances between on-site wastewater treatment systems (OWTS).

NATURAL LANDSCAPING ORDINANCES

Retaining natural vegetation when developing the land will address concerns of both storm water runoff and impacts from invasive species. Where land has been cleared in the past, efforts should be made to re-landscape the area with native vegetation. Ordinances can be passed to require natural landscaping, and for invasive species management.

STORM WATER MANAGEMENT

In areas vulnerable to development, which are not yet currently problematic, a storm water management study should be conducted. Enacting ordinances that will control storm water in future development would be wise and will prevent soil loss due to floods.

REGULATION OF LANDFILL SITING

While state and federal restrictions on the siting of landfills exist, nothing will keep out landfills entirely. Townships would be best served by determining where and under what circumstance landfills would be most appropriate. Courts have been supportive of landfill regulations when they are part of a municipal plan and allow for reasonable opportunities for landfills to locate within the municipality.

RURAL ROADS ORDINANCES

Township governments bear the burden of road plowing and improvement. Often one new road requiring plowing and graveling (or paving) can cause financial hardship for a township government. Ordinances can be written to establish a procedure for local designation of Minimum Maintenance Roads or road segments allowing for reduced levels of maintenance of rural town and county roads. Appendix Two contains a model rural road ordinance as developed by the New York Local Roads Research and Coordination Council.

SUMMARY

Each of these ordinances presented above, as well as many more, can be adopted by the Northern Tier Coalition to address the conservation threats and targets identified earlier. These ordinances, combined with zoning, subdivision regulations and historic districts can work together to ensure that the quality of life the residents of the NTC enjoy today will be there for their children, and grandchildren. Each resident has a stake in their community – which means they have an interest in what happens not only on their property, but on others as well. Everyone who lives in the townships of the Northern Tier Coalition enjoys a unique and precious commodity – a quality of rural life that is disappearing rapidly. Enacting land use controls will give all residents in the townships the tools to use to protect what is most precious to them – their quality and way of life. Figure 6.10 is a vision of the land use and land cover landscape of the Northern Tier Coalition based many of approaches outlined above.

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