The Village of Malverne has joined the Long Island-wide initiative to ban bamboo planting.
The village board adopted the bamboo legislation at its monthly meeting last week.
Newsday [paid link] reported:
Under the new village law, residents are prohibited from planting, growing or maintaining bamboo on outdoor property; indoor plantings are allowed. The building department has the authority to issue summonses once a week if the owner fails to get rid of the bamboo after the initial citation. Violators would face a $350 fine or up to 15 days in jail.
According to multiple reports, the village will give residents 30 days to comply with the new legislation once it goes into effect. It is currently being filed with the New York Secretary of State.
Village officials told multiple media outlets that they took action after receiving complaints from residents about bamboo damaging property. The Town of Hempstead adopted a similar ban last July after receiving identical complaints from its residents.
Hempstead Town officials said in a statement that many residents have displayed “evidence of damaged tree roots, pipes, sidewalks and even foundations as a result of out-of-control bamboo growth.”
The root structure found in many types of bamboo tends to expand horizontally, making the plant difficult to maintain and more likely to cause damage to its surrounding area than other types of plants.
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