The Glen Cove City Council unanimously passed local laws requiring a one-year moratorium on battery energy-storage system facilities and limiting “unreasonable noises” at its Tuesday, May 13, meeting.
Glen Cove Mayor Pam Panzenbeck said the council has been discussing the battery energy-storage system facilities moratorium for a while and that “now is the time to do it.” Neighboring municipalities, like the Town of Oyster Bay, have passed similar laws in response to the budding technology.
Although no residents spoke at the public hearing for the battery-system moratorium, multiple residents supported the law at the first public hearing at the April 22 meeting.
Dr. Maxine Meyreis, the president of the Glen Cove Chamber of Commerce, said at the previous meeting that the organization’s 16-person board of directors agreed that the facility would hinder local businesses and the city’s character.
Some residents from nearby areas also spoke in support of the city’s proposed law at the April meeting.
Eileen Small, a former Glen Cove resident who now lives in Glenwood Landing, said opposing the facility is “common sense” from an environmental, health, and financial standpoint, as the facility could potentially release toxic gases and affect property values.
At this week’s meeting, both Council Member John Zozzaro and Council Member Marsha Silverman said the law protects the city from potential safety concerns, as the technology is not yet known enough for comfort.
“Hopefully, technology gets better and we’ll be able to do it later, but right now, I feel safer not having it available,” Zozzaro said.
The council also passed a new noise ordinance, which limits the time residents can use gasoline-fueled or power tools, including, but not limited to, lawn mowers, leaf blowers, saws, and woodchippers.
At the April 22 meeting, Panzenbeck specified that these tools would be permitted on weekdays between 8:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m., on Saturdays between 9 a.m. or 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. and on Sundays between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.
At this week’s meeting, one resident spoke out at the public hearing, asking if the noise ordinance laws would be looked at more in depth in the future.
“I’m wondering if we could take it even further to look at the noise code, because I think a lot of it is outdated, specifically music. Outdoor amplified music, specifically,” said Nick Piotrowski, who has been a resident for 10 years.
He said the laws refer to “phonographs” and other outdated noise equipment and that he would like to see it updated in the future. Piotrowski said the codes are not specific about whether certain laws apply to businesses or residential lots and that when people play their music too loud or too late, it disrupts the neighborhood.
Panzenbeck said the council is reviewing the noise laws in “small batches.” She said noise laws can be complicated to enforce because decibels can be hard to gauge.
Silverman said the new law is looking to enforce “incessant, extremely loud noises” that occur for long periods of time and/or late at night.
“A lot of it is being neighborly, right?” said Council Member Kevin Maccarone. He said residents may want to communicate with each other about individual instances, like landscapers arriving too early on weekdays, because people might not be up to date on the laws.
Panzenbeck said anyone who would like to report non-compliant activity may contact the city’s code enforcement during the week and the police department over the weekend.
Both local laws were passed unanimously by the council at the meeting.
“I’m glad we all agree,” Panzenbeck said.
