BY ANDY GARDNER
North Country This Week

MASSENA -- The Village Board of Trustees passed a new local law regulating metal storage containers.

The new law says a container can be on a residential property for 90 days out of a calendar year, and they can’t be in a village right of way.

There was one comment during the public hearing that preceded the vote. A person on the Zoom feed who identified herself as "Tammy Hooper with Mike Flynn" asked if metal containers owned by a property owner would be allowed to stay.

Massena Chief Code Officer Aaron Hardy said it only applies to containers placed after the law takes effect.

"It will be anything moving ahead into the future," Hardy said.

Trustee Francis Carvel said he hopes the law will be sufficient, as he believes they're eyesores.

"I hope that it's sufficient. I think the thought on this is to keep them out of the front yards. That's the biggest thing," he said.

"It's definitely a good starting point, I agree. I hope we don't have to go back and change it," said Acting Mayor Matt Lebire.

Hardy in October 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 at the time.

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 in October. “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.”