Smoke but no trouble

Few come to public hearing on outdoor wood boiler regulation Warwick - Matt Comas has the only outdoor wood boiler in Warwick. He installed it this fall at his Jonathan Court home as an alternative to conventional heating, the cost of which has skyrocketed this year. Comas applied to the town for a permit to install his boiler and received it, with the stipulation that he would conform to any regulations set by the town within a year. When another request came to the town - along with a concern from Comas’s neighbor, Supervisor Michael Sweeton figured the Town Board should look a bit more into it. Last week, the board held a public hearing. Comas came, as did his neighbor, Mike Suleski. Suleski said he has no problem with Comas using the wood boiler. What he is concerned with, though, is the proximity to his house. “It sits about 90 feet from my house,” said Suleski. Comas told the Town Board that he runs the boiler as the manufacturer recommends, and he only burns seasoned wood. Suleski said Comas is a very responsible neighbor, has been since the two became neighbors 10 years ago. “I certainly don’t want to start a battle with my neighbor,” said Suleski. “We are friendly. Any problems we have, we go to each other. I always talk to him.” It’s not Comas that Suleski worries about. But if no regulations are put in place, anyone can put a boiler in without regard for their neighbors’ health and safety. “These stoves are not EPA regulated and they burn large quantities of wood,” said Suleski. “They can produce large amounts of smoke.” Suleski said his neighbor’s stove is not a nuisance to him, in large part because Comas is responsible. If Comas sells his house and someone else moves in, with the stove so close to his property, Suleski worries his quality of life would be seriously affected. “How can you control someone’s burning habits?” Suleski asked. Outdoor wood boilers are a fairly new phenomenon, at least in Warwick. They are popular elsewhere, including upstate and in Vermont and Washington state. Outdoor wood boilers consist of a fire box, surrounded by a water reservoir housed in what resembles a small shed outside of the residence. A short chimney sits on top of the shed. The boiler is built to burn for many hours without tending, according to a lengthy report issued by the New York State Attorney General Eliot Spitzer in October. It works by heating water that is then pumped through insulated underground pipes into the house’s heating system. It is controlled by a thermostat. Some municipalities have banned the wood boilers, but Sweeton said Warwick is not looking to ban them, just to regulate them with proper setbacks from neighboring properties and minimum lot requirements. Suleski has three acres and Comas has five, enough room to accommodate the device. Still, he would like to see it moved further from his house, and even offers to help his neighbor move it when the regulations are put in place. The town is considering requiring 200 feet from a neighbor’s house, as is the case in other towns. “I’m impressed by what Sweeton is doing,” said Suleski. “He did his research on this. Why ask for trouble? Set the regulations before there are problems.” The town will continue to accept comments from the public in writing until Jan. 19.