BY ANDY GARDNER
North Country This Week

MASSENA -- The village board will hold a public hearing next month on a proposed local law that regulates shipping containers on residential properties.

The board voted to set the hearing for 5:30 p.m., prior to the start of their Nov. 17 meeting.

If passed, the law would allow a container to be on a residential property for 90 days out of a calendar year, and they can’t be in the village right of way.

Aaron Hardy, the Massena Fire Department foreman and chief code officer, told the board that he thinks 90 days is “a fair number for someone doing a major project or some other renovation on their property.”

“With the shipping containers being stuck in the village right of way in somebody’s front yard and the DPW having to go in and dig something up … that can cause quite an issue,” he said.

He said the Code Office would work with residents who may need a container beyond the 90 days.

“We’re always open to working with somebody … People run into delays all the time,” Hardy said. “We’re constantly working with homeowners to get the project complete, obviously as timely as possible but we’re always willing to work with homeowners.”

Trustee Francis Carvel said he thinks the containers look “horrendous” and should be banned from the village outright.

“They’re all rusted. They’re unkempt. They’re not painted … it just looks terrible. There’s nothing eye-appealing at all about those boxes,” he said. “I think we’re opening ourselves up to something that’s pretty hard to control … I’d like to see us banning them, totally banned from the village.”

Mayor Tim Currier said he doesn’t want them in the village at all, but understands residences don’t all have the capacity on the premises to store large amounts of things from inside a home when it’s being renovated.

“I think there’s a potential we could limit it and make sure it’s carefully done,” he said.

“This is at least a good step,” said Deputy Mayor Matt Lebire. “At least letting people know this should not be used as a permanent structure.”