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Lower Preparing to Outlaw Outdoor Wood Burning Furnaces
VILLAS — Lower Township Council introduced an ordinance Mon., Feb. 6 prohibiting outdoor, wood-burning furnaces.
The ordinance allows existing outdoor wood burners to continue to operate but does not allow installation of any new units. It prohibits burning trash, plastics, rubber, garbage, material treated with petroleum, particle board, railroad ties, pressure-treated wood, leaves, cardboard and paper products.
A clause in the ordinance specifies if an outdoor wood burning furnace is not used for seven months, it would not be permitted to be reestablished as a non-conforming use and must immediately be removed by the property owner.
Mayor Michael Beck questioned how that section of the ordinance would be enforced. He said the clause in the ordinance would prevent a furnace from rusting away in a backyard.
If the owner fails to remove the furnace, the township, the “code enforcement officer shall take responsible steps for its removal.” Costs of removal including attorney fees plus “an amount equal to 50 percent of said costs of removal shall be charged to the owner of said premises.”
If the costs are not paid in 30 days, they will be converted to a tax lien on the property.
Two S. Andrielle Lane homeowners filed a complaint with Lower Township police Oct. 23, 2011 against their neighbor, Pawel Banach, for smoke coming from a wood-burning boiler in his backyard.
Adjoining property owners and neighbors who live down the street complained to the township that the boiler sent smoke inside their homes.
Township Council passed an ordinance Oct. 3, 2011 that allowed residents or township officials to sign a complaint against a neighbor operating a wood-burning boiler in their backyard.
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Sun, 02/12/2012 - 7:01pm - Posted by: nmartin
I think furnaces are very cost effective. instead of banning grandfathering in existing ones, why not come up with a way to make them more effective and less of a nuisance?? I know someone who installed a device that reduces smoke up to 90%!!! why not have that option?
Sat, 02/11/2012 - 12:34pm - Posted by: Somewhere in Middle Twp
The lot size shpuld be included-why wouldnt you allow someone with no one around-say lot soze 5 acres, to use a conforming putside wood furnance. is it any different than home with a woorburning stove used to heat the entire house
. Sure in a densly populated area they shouldnt be allowed,
The swainton stench is onbelieveble sometimes
Lower overstepping its bounds =Not a reasonable reason.
Sat, 02/11/2012 - 12:07pm - Posted by: Dave G
I agree, the township is banning these things, stepping outside of Constitutional concerns, as usual. The "in" thing to do is to ignore that silly document that has made this the greatest country on earth. But, I digress. BTW, the ordinance allows existing wood burning furnace's to stay. So the folks on Andrielle La. didn't get what they want. I wonder if those complaining neighbors would have the decency to admit in public, that it's not as bad as they first thought. I mean, it's a wood fire!!! Then, maybe our "leaders" would get rid of this stupid ordinance. (If they could admit they're wrong, too.)
Sat, 02/11/2012 - 8:35am - Posted by: artdoc
The county "good ole' boys have had no problem allowing the MUA to spew the stench of burning poop all over Swainton for 25 years, but in Lower the smell of burning wood is offensive....What's wrong with this picture?
Sat, 02/11/2012 - 12:19am - Posted by: Jets Sanchez
I have to agree with cuda on this one. This is crazy!! Then they better be ready to charge the campground campers with 100's of violations a night!! They burn all their trash and everything else that is not nailed down!!
This all comes down to Money and the Snobs who live on Andrielle Lane. Glenn Douglass is friends with one of them and this is all politically motivated . But here's what's great!! The ordinance says nothing about burning doggie doo!! This ordinance is just that......Poo. I hope the guy they are trying to railroad lights up a big ole' chiminea with a load of Dog Poo every night around dusk for them to whiff on!! Like Cheech and Chong......it's gotta little Labrador in it!!
Fri, 02/10/2012 - 1:00pm - Posted by: wiseguy
I don't understand why we even have politicians in Lower. They don't seem to do anything productive. They are uneducated, not forward thinking, they don't seem to care about the people they are supposedly representing, and they are afraid to make tough deicsions. As long as these furnaces are burning clean wood, why would they outlaw them? This is an alternative energy source! Two neighbors don't like it, so the township is going to ban them? I am sick and tired of the good ol' boy network and the politics around here. I feel like I live amongst a bunch of prehistoric dumb dumbs!
Fri, 02/10/2012 - 9:49am - Posted by: shorething
If the township is going after the removal of unused wood burning stoves from properties when will they go after all the rusted unused autos and other junk on properties. Big government overstepping.
Fri, 02/10/2012 - 8:53am - Posted by: barracuda
Next up, a ban on outdoor wood burning fire pits, chameas, campground fires, fireplaces and wood stoves...all spew the same burnt wood particulates into the air.
Couldn't they just have limited the OWB's to a minimum of 5 or 10 acres lots, like most municipalities have done?
Fri, 02/10/2012 - 8:50am - Posted by: rummrunner2
if he has to get rid of it CHARGE the two people that FORCED him to get rid of it .the removal bill.i SAW THE wacko video and the OWNERS .I see nothing wrong with said furnace.the neighbors REALLY need to stop sticking thier noses in his business
Fri, 02/10/2012 - 8:17am - Posted by: KPointer12
There goes lower Twp. joining in with the over-controlling socialists.
Fri, 02/10/2012 - 7:36am - Posted by: flytime2k
Ok, here we go. Let the comments fly.