Commerical property as rear neighbor -- noise, fence, privacy issues -- what would you do? (Huntington: real estate, new house)
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We moved into a new house in the Town of Huntington a few months ago, and from the get-go we knew that a major pitfall of our house was that the opposite side of our rear property line is zoned commercial, and at present a big-name bank branch exists there. On the other side of the bank is a 4-lane road with more stores and commercial outlets. We're on a 1/2 acre, so while we're not sitting on top of this commercial property, we're still close.
For a privacy/noise buffer on the rear property line, there is a 6ft wood fence on our side, as well as about 15-20 40ft trees also on our side which have been growing for over a decade. Unfortunately, Sandy knocked down some of the trees and thinned out most of the branches, so now we're now pretty exposed to the bank, the traffic and all the lights from the main road area.
Here's the kicker. Next to the bank (in my neighbor's backyard) is a CVS. When CVS came in about 3 years ago, they put up a massive 15-20ft cement retaining wall as a privacy buffer between them and my neighbor's backyard. The bank simply has a 4ft chain metal fence, and is equally, if not more trafficked then CVS.
We plan on installing an additional row of 10ft evergreens, but my hunch is the bank should, at the very least, have some sort of privacy fence and landscaping on their side. I may also try to get clearance to install a 12' wood fence (if the bank isn't responsible for it) on my property line.
Has anyone here dealt with, or would know the proper town departments to confer with, about what sort of requirements commercial properties have for noise and privacy protection as it relates to residential neighbors?
I'd do more research before i move into a area im not familiar with
another one of long islands geniuses!!!!!!
Huh? Did you even read my post? How was I not familiar with the area? We spent 8 months researching the area. What I'm NOT familiar with are the hundreds of pages of zoning laws I was hoping someone would chime in with a bit more rigor and insight than your post.
We couldn't predict one of the worst storms in 30 years would wreck the back-line of our property within 2 months of moving in and thereby exposing us to a commercial area. Did we accept that this MAY happen... YES. Now, we're simply evaluating potential solutions.
Was simply reaching out to other City Data'ers with commerical properties as neighbors to see what they would do. Were you that offended, "autoracer9"?
Again, sorry to hammer this home, but that is often one of the pitfalls of owning adjacent to an objectionable property (commercial or otherwise, that is) and your taxes are or should be reflective of that. Now while, Mr. Bitterness is right to a degree, it is not always so and varies from town to town.
Commercial property owners often will try to make nice with the neighbors and install plantings and privacy screens (shrubs) because they want to do business with their neighbors as opposed to it being the code. My friends live with their backyards parallel to a strip malls' driveway to the rear of the stores. Over the years the pines on the commercial buffer have grown to similar heights as yours and they are scraggy. The residential owners recently asked for and got the trees replaced and the lower height and density of the new trees has diminished the noise considerably.
I would call the Town Supervisor and ask what department can answer such questions. Then once I got to speak to someone I would ask if there were a specific section of town code that addresses my concerns and I would print it. THEN, I would first try the nice approach with the bank and CVS and see if the "good neighbor policy" approach would work, before I would use the town code, if it does in fact, address your concerns.
We couldn't predict one of the worst storms in 30 years would wreck the back-line of our property within 2 months of moving in and thereby exposing us to a commercial area.?
Neither could the bank. If you really think the bank is responsible for your comfort, good luck.
In NY there is a saying attached to real estate transactions..."caveat emptor".
You probably got a good deal for your lousy location. Now you are seeing why.
i also find it hard to believe the bank is busier than the CVS - the "open" hours of the drugstore alone have got the be longer than the bank's.
Huh? Did you even read my post? How was I not familiar with the area? We spent 8 months researching the area. What I'm NOT familiar with are the hundreds of pages of zoning laws I was hoping someone would chime in with a bit more rigor and insight than your post.
We couldn't predict one of the worst storms in 30 years would wreck the back-line of our property within 2 months of moving in and thereby exposing us to a commercial area. Did we accept that this MAY happen... YES. Now, we're simply evaluating potential solutions.
Was simply reaching out to other City Data'ers with commerical properties as neighbors to see what they would do. Were you that offended, "autoracer9"?
Well it just seems your complaining about commercial noise when you said you moved into a commercial area i just hate that were here now so things are going to change additude witch has been a motto on long island for 50 years.
Last edited by Autoracer9; 12-28-2012 at 09:04 AM..
We moved into a new house in the Town of Huntington a few months ago, and from the get-go we knew that a major pitfall of our house was that the opposite side of our rear property line is zoned commercial, and at present a big-name bank branch exists there. On the other side of the bank is a 4-lane road with more stores and commercial outlets. We're on a 1/2 acre, so while we're not sitting on top of this commercial property, we're still close.
For a privacy/noise buffer on the rear property line, there is a 6ft wood fence on our side, as well as about 15-20 40ft trees also on our side which have been growing for over a decade. Unfortunately, Sandy knocked down some of the trees and thinned out most of the branches, so now we're now pretty exposed to the bank, the traffic and all the lights from the main road area.
Here's the kicker. Next to the bank (in my neighbor's backyard) is a CVS. When CVS came in about 3 years ago, they put up a massive 15-20ft cement retaining wall as a privacy buffer between them and my neighbor's backyard. The bank simply has a 4ft chain metal fence, and is equally, if not more trafficked then CVS.
We plan on installing an additional row of 10ft evergreens, but my hunch is the bank should, at the very least, have some sort of privacy fence and landscaping on their side. I may also try to get clearance to install a 12' wood fence (if the bank isn't responsible for it) on my property line.
Has anyone here dealt with, or would know the proper town departments to confer with, about what sort of requirements commercial properties have for noise and privacy protection as it relates to residential neighbors?
Thanks and happy new year!
Re your hunch: Then why doesn't the bank already have it if they "should?" Building any commercial establishment on LI has extensive requirements and the Towns check on them every step of the way and stop them from completing construction for not doing what they are supposed to do according to the existing Code. Do you really think the Town ignored the requirements (and the chance to issue fines and new fees) all this time and now that you personally want more privacy (and want the bank to pay for it instead of yourself) the Town is suddenly going to open up their eyes?
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