Town focuses on building safety and property cleanup
GREENFIELD, N.Y. » The Town of Greenfield has announced a proclamation naming May as Building Safety Month and is launching a month-long effort to spread the word to its residents to pitch in with spring cleaning.
In the past few years, the rural town’s building department has grown from one full-time professional handling the roles of building inspector, zoning administrator and code enforcement officer, to a team of four.
Officials hope the cleanup effort will prepare residents for the town’s increased enforcement of its longstanding property maintenance and building codes.
The town will hold a threeday resident cleanup from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. on May 13 through 15 at its Highway Department garage, located at 509 Bockes Rd. Residents with a town resident card may drop off household items, furniture, light scrap metal, empty and dry paint cans, as well as computer equipment and electronics for recycling. No tires, household garbage or hazardous wastes will be accepted. Resident cards can be obtained at Town Hall with a valid driver’s license and utility bill.
Residents with tires to recycle are being directed to Saratoga County’s Spring Tire Recycling program on May 24.
Code enforcement staff has begun hitting the roads to share the cleanup information with residents who appear to be in violation of the New York State property maintenance code, which requires that all property be in a sanitary and safe condition as well as free from accumulation of rubbish. Residents will be encouraged to make use of the cleanup event to avoid citations. Violating this code can cost up to $1,000 a day.
For more information, contact the Code Enforcement office at (518) 893-7432, ext. 304.
The town is also making use of social media, its website and a resident email list to ask for participation and better educate residents of the need for proper permitting for all construction and home improvement projects.
“It is in all of our best interests to keep our individual property clean and safe,” Town Supervisor Kevin Veitch said in a press release. “We’ve grown significantly in recent years and it is very important for us to preserve our natural beauty and stay on top of the enforcement of our building, zoning and property maintenance laws.”
The last town cleanup collected approximately 49 tons of garbage, more than 17 tons of metal and 11 pallets of electronics to recycle. Veitch said he hopes this year’s organized focus will be even more successful.
He also said the expanded Greenfield Building Department, led by Michael Waldron, is focusing on more efficient building, zoning, and planning board applications and code enforcement in Greenfield.
In addition, the town has a robust Adopt a Highway Program, with approximately 24 roads currently being maintained by groups of residents. The groups are cleaning up the roads throughout the month.
The Town of Greenfield spans more than 41,000 acres of land bordering the Adirondacks, and is home to 8,200 residents in Greenfield, Porter Corners and Middle Grove.