Onondaga County has no countywide defensible space requirement. Brush clearance is handled by individual town property maintenance codes.
Central New York's humid continental climate and heavy annual snowfall (often 120+ inches in Syracuse) keep wildfire risk low, so Onondaga County has never adopted a defensible-space ordinance comparable to western states. Brush and overgrowth are handled town by town through property maintenance codes adopted under NY Town Law and the International Property Maintenance Code (IPMC). The NY DEC enforces annual residential brush-burning bans March 16-May 14 statewide under 6 NYCRR Part 215, which reduces ignition risk during leaf-out. Properties adjacent to DEC-regulated wetlands or freshwater wetland buffers cannot clear woody vegetation without a permit. Syracuse, Clay, Salina, Manlius, and Cicero each enforce their own nuisance vegetation provisions through town code enforcement.
Town code enforcement typically issues a notice of violation with 10-30 days to abate. Unabated hazards can trigger municipal abatement with costs assessed to the tax bill. Burning during the March 16-May 14 ban carries a minimum $500 DEC fine.
Syracuse, NY
Syracuse limits construction noise in residential areas under the Noise Control Ordinance. Construction is generally restricted during nighttime hours and ea...
Syracuse, NY
Syracuse regulates noise under Chapter 40 (Noise Control Ordinance) of the Revised General Ordinances. The city prohibits excessive, unnecessary, or unusuall...
Syracuse, NY
Syracuse's ReZone zoning ordinance sets fence height limits in residential districts. Front yard fences are limited to 4 feet; side and rear fences may be up...
Syracuse, NY
New York State does not require neighbor consent to build a fence on your property. Fences must be within property lines and comply with local zoning.
Syracuse, NY
Syracuse permits residents to keep up to six hens with a chicken permit under Revised General Ordinances Chapter 6, adopted as part of the urban agriculture ...
Syracuse, NY
Syracuse allows beekeeping subject to conditions. Hives must be managed to prevent nuisance to neighbors. New York State requires beekeeper registration.
See how Syracuse's brush clearance rules stack up against other locations.
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