New laws passed, foxes will go

MILLBROOK — It’s the middle of a sizzling summer but the Millbrook Village Board is busy. At the regularly scheduled, July 27 meeting, the board opened three public hearings, considered and voted unanimously on three new laws.

Local Law No. 3 officially recognizes and defines mixed-use buildings in the business district. Almost all the buildings in the central district fit the definition. To qualify as a mixed-use building, the property must have a business on the ground floor, and the residential units above must contain at least 500 square feet and no more than two bedrooms.

Local Law No. 4 concerns compliance with zoning laws and prevents the Planning Board or the Zoning Board of Appeals from considering any application if the zoning administrator has issued any written notice of violation on the property until it is corrected. Mayor Laura Hurley said this would not effect the Bennett College development at the moment.

Local Law No. 5 is simple. No trucks weighing more than 5 tons are permitted to travel on Nine Partners Lane.

The board also moved quickly to approve two bond issues. One bond for $80,000 will purchase new Scott Air Packs to replace worn out equipment. The five-year note will be paid off at $20,000 a year out of the fire department budget. The second bond is for $30,000 to purchase a new vehicle for the highway department. It will be paid off in two years.

A meeting was announced for Monday, Aug. 2, to review the bids for the sewer repair and replacement project. Before adjourning into executive session to discuss Bennett College legal funding, Hurley explained that the fox family observed by village residents, including herself, is a protected species under New York state law and poses no threat to humans. Wildlife specialists and the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) have advised the mayor that foxes are timid and will voluntarily leave once the fox cubs mature.

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