Village Puts Bamboo, Parking and Psychic Proposals on Hold

The Babylon Village Board is withholding decision on several proposed ordinances, including a ban on planting new bamboo, a residential parking rule and relegating psychic shops into industrial business areas, citing a need for further review given public feedback.

“There has been some confusion regarding the parking proposal and we wanted to hear residents’ feedback on that and the other proposals,” said Mayor Ralph Scordino shortly before convening last night’s board meeting which drew a crowd numbering near 50 attendees.

Public hearings on the proposals, as well as five others were held on August 9. The other five proposals include expediting rooftop solar panel applications and snow removal parking stipulations.

While the residential parking proposal, which would provide the village a way to fine residents who repeatedly block neighbors’ driveways and park in front of others’ homes, drew some comment at Tuesday night's meeting, the business zoning for psychic and tattoo businesses was the big topic.

“What I’d like to know is what exactly prompted this action,” asked one resident, asking why psychics would have to buy liability insurance to run a business location.

The proposal would also require fingerprinting of psychics.

Village attorney Joel Sikowitz said the board considers tattoo shops and psychics as “entertainment” commerce, and that those operations belongs in the village’s  industrial areas on Route 109 and John Street.

“We have nothing against psychics. We just don’t consider them to be retail establishments which is what our business district is and feel they fit better in the industrial areas,” said Sikowitz.

The village's current psychic storefront, The Astrologer Body Mind Soul, which very recently relocated to East Main Street from Deer Park Avenue, would be grandfathered in and allowed to stay at its current location.

The parking proposal, intended to stop inconsiderate parking behavior in neighborhoods, was prompted by resident complaints, say village officials. Putting a code ordinance on the books will give the village the opportunity to ticket and fine repeat parking offenders, said Scordino.

“This proposal says people should park in front of their houses and not continually park in front of neighbors’ homes and driveways. We can’t do anything about the issue without some sort of ordinance,” explained Scordino.

The proposed ban on planting new bamboo was also spurred by resident complaints, said Sikowitz. The proposal would require homeowners with bamboo plantings to install metal sheafs in the ground to prevent bamboo roots from spreading to neighbors’ properties.

“This has just become a major problem as the plant’s invasive root structures are impacting homeowners who don’t even have bamboo on their property,” said Sikowitz.