Village hears concerns on regulating outdoor furnaces

Warwick — First the town did it and now the village is looking into regulating what has become a growing trend in home heating in certain parts of the country — outdoor furnaces. The Village Board will hold a public hearing on a proposed local law on March 6 at 7:30 p.m. The village’s law is very similar to the one unanimously passed in January by the town, called Outdoor Wood Boilers. The town had two requests for permits to install wood boilers. The village’s proposed law requires a permit from the village fire marshal to install or maintain an outdoor furnace. Existing outdoor furnaces would have to conform to the new law within one year from when it is passed. According to Mayor Michael Newhard, there are no outdoor furnaces in the village to date. Only firewood and untreated lumber would be permitted to be burned in an outdoor furnace. The furnaces would only be allowed in the R1 zone on lots of a minimum of one acre in size. The R1 zone has a minimum half acre zoning. The furnaces must be set back at least 50 feet from the nearest dwelling and at least 50 feet from the adjoining property line. The town’s law requires three acres of property and setbacks of 200 feet from the nearest dwelling or 150 feet from an adjoining property line. The town also limits the use of these furnaces from Sept. 1 through May 31, and requires that the chimney rises four feet above the roof line of the homeowner’s house. There are no provisions in the proposed village law limiting days of usage and chimney height. Although there have been no requests for these furnaces in the village, they are becoming popular in rural areas, especially with the rise in heating costs. These furnaces 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 furnace is built to burn for many hours without tending from its owner, 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. Violations include fines and jail time, ranging from $100 for a first offense, up to $1,000 for a third one and up to six months in prison. In New York State, many local municipalities are developing regulations for the boilers. Many others have banned their use completely. The Attorney General’s report states that five towns have regulations on their books regarding setbacks, chimney height, population density and terrain, while 11 have banned their use completely.