Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Land Use topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Board weighs annual special‑use permits, 1,000‑ft buffers and police inspections for massage businesses
Summary
Staff proposed a local law to require annual special‑use permits for massage establishments, ban such uses in residential districts and within 1,000 feet of residences, schools, parks or libraries, and require police inspections for renewals; trustees discussed enforcement, hours of operation and alignment with tobacco rules.
Staff presented a proposed revision to chapter 342 to change massage‑establishment special‑use permits from a two‑year renewal to annual renewals, add location restrictions, and require police inspection before renewal. “This would require… no such establishments in residential districts nor 1,000 feet from residential districts or any school, public park or library,” staff said.
Trustees discussed enforcement and whether landlords can be held accountable if they rent to operators without an active permit. Staff said nuisance and current permit enforcement language allow landlord accountability, and that the code could be tightened to make that explicit.
Board members also questioned allowed hours of operation in the current code (noting an 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. window) and suggested more typical business hours — for example, closing earlier in the evening — to address community concerns. Staff said existing preexisting uses would be grandfathered but that new or renewing uses would be required to meet the updated permit process.
Trustees compared some proposed language to the draft tobacco‑retail provisions and asked staff to reconcile overlapping requirements where appropriate. Staff will refine the massage‑establishment language and return with a proposed public‑hearing schedule, after coordination with Westchester County planning for zoning changes where needed.
