Vegetation (2) - Laserfiche WebLink

New Search

-"- P -1c:, w call ill ruersuer ractner than approach a neighbor directly. "I've had some elderly neighbors, particularly older women, who say they don't know who moved in next door and don't want to talk to them," he said. The city code requires homeown- ers to ensure that trees and shrubs on their property don't obstruct streets or sidewalks or block the view for motor- ists at intersections. The rules also ap- ply to city rights -of -way in front of homes. Also, homeowners must keep blackberry bushes and other weeds from creeping across property lines. To reduce fire hazards and curb rodents, the city requires that grass and weeds be kept below 10 inches high. For homeowners, the city ordi- nances are in force all year. For own- ers of vacant land, the ordinances are in effect during prime growing time: June 15 to Sept. 30. However, vegeta- tion that obstructs the view for motor- ists must be controlled year- round. When the city finds a violation, it issues the homeowner a written notice giving 10 days to fix the problem. If the homeowner doesn't respond, the city hires a contractor for the job, for a minimum charge of $158. The city is not required to notify owners of undeveloped property of violations after June 15, although it usually does so, Foerestler said. Beginning this week, Foerstler will spend much of his time surveying va- cant lots for tall weeds. The city's goal is not to fine violators but to educate people about the hazards of unruly vegetation, he said. Foerstler said the city tries to give owners ample chance to correct prob- lems. For example, even though the ordinance requires a 10 -day notice for homeowners, the city usually tries to give two weekends. "A lot of times people get too busy," he said. "They get a notice and say, 'Gosh, I didn't know it had gotten that tall.'" dlcating the complainant's manicured lawn. "But my purpose is to deal with issues that could be a public safety is- sue. I'm looking to see if it's a fire hazard." Foerestler decided it was not. "In this case, if I were to cite them and they disputed it, I would have to get out and measure," he said. "I don't want to get into that." He writes down "no violation" on the blue complaint form. Foerstler said he would call the complainant to tell her his decision. He said he would ask her to contact him if the lawn isn't mowed in a couple of weeks. Foerstler's next stop was a duplex in the south hills. The owner, an older woman, was concerned about a sickly looking spruce tree in her neighbor's back yard. The tree's branches extend- ed over her property and came close to a second -floor balcony of the du- plex. She worried that the dead branches might catch fire in the sum- mer and ignite her home. Foerstler, a forester by training, figured that the lower part of the tree was alive and could be revived with trimming. He decided that it wouldn't be fair to require the neighbor to fell the tree, but he also decided to have the city forester inspect it. The duplex owner was incredulous when Foerstler told her his plan. "Do you mean to say you can look at that tree and say it is going to come back?" she asked. She was even more upset when he Pointed out that she had a problem on her own property just 20 feet from the offending spruce: a dead, ivy - covered oak snag leaning toward the street. "That oak tree could catch on fire or fall into the street," Foerstler in- formed her. "Maybe we ought to forget this and let the whole thing burn down," she huffed. "It will cost me $100 to cut that snag down." But Foerstler explained wouldn't be fair to cite one Forestler has to make plenty of and ignore the other. fiidPmPnf rnfic nn hie rn —A, For example, a resident a few blocks from the Bethel - Danebo ranch house had filed a complaint about high grass in a neighbor's back yard. Foers- tler found a dilemma he faces often. The complainant's white, freshly painted house could have been plucked from a "National Geographic" feature on the charms of small -town America. Bright flowers bordered the house. The lawn resembled a putting green. Next door, a sign in the front win- dow cautioned visitors: Beware of Dog. The front lawn was trimmed, but the grass covering about half the backyard looked to be 10 to 12 inches high. "I wouldn't argue that it looks bad compared to hers," Foerstler said, in- tr ee 'w that it problem "If I asked them to take down the , what do I do when they say, hat about next door ?' " Foerstler asked. Foerstler suggested that the wom- an solve the problem by cutting the oak snag back to about eight feet, so it wouldn't hang over the street. Afterward, Foerstler said he often walks a fine line in these disputes. "We try to play no favorites," he said. "we don't want to take sides."