DUBOIS – After two years the Sandy Township Supervisors came to their conclusion regarding outdoor furnaces. In a four to one vote the ordinance wasadopted by the township on Monday night.
There was one amendment to the ordinance since the last supervisor meeting. The last day for seasonal usage of outdoor furnaces in the more residential zones was moved back to May 31 instead of the prior May 14 after comments made during the public hearing. Other than this the ordinance was passed by all supervisors with Supervisor Dave Sylvis as the sole nay.
“One of the things I am not in favor of is the burn dates,” said Sylvis.
His opposition was to the origin of the ordinance in complaints about smoke being a nuisance to neighbors. Between June 1 and Sept. 15 wood furnaces can still be used in R-1 and R-U zones, just under restricted hours.
“I feel this ordinance was to get rid of a nuisance,” said Sylvis.
Most the of the supervisors admitted in the second public comment section that the ordinance wasn’t perfect. However it could be amended and changed as time went on.
Before the ordinance passes there were still comments by Sandy Township citizens. Some supporting and some opposed to the ordinance. Most complaints were those given and answered in previous meetings. There were some changes.
Two citizens came forward to the supervisors on the grounds the ordinance was infringing on their rights and freedom.
“As a supervisor we are custodians of people’s health as well as rights,” said Jim Jeffers at the end of the meeting.
“The ordinance was passed for the residential areas with houses 20 feet apart,” said supervisor Mark Sullivan.
The supervisors mentioned a few times that this ordinance had been created after hearing constant complaints over a few outdoor furnaces. Lacking any regulations the township had to create this ordinance so they could do something over the few who were being a nuisance.
“As for other furnaces, they’ll be addressed as complaints come in,” said Jeffers in response to the repeated question of why outdoor furnaces seemed singled out as opposed to indoor furnaces.