Trees, bushes, and more often weeds and invasive species, are overgrown on City streets, sidewalks, bike paths and crosswalks. This may limit your visibility (the technical term is sight distance) of kids and others on streets, sidewalks, bike paths and crosswalks. City Code requires that homeowners trim their vegetation along the side of the street and on corners and sidewalks, but few people are aware of these laws.
City enforcement, which should only be used as a last resort, is complaint driven – no action is taken unless a citizen reports the problem to the Community Standards unit within the Police Department. An officer then notifies the property owner that trimming is needed as specified in the City Code. This process has a low success rate and is an administrative burden for our shrinking Safety Service staff.
SeeKids.org provides a way for you to educate yourself and your neighbors about the potential dangers of overgrown vegetation and an opportunity to comply with the City Code without involving City officers.
Is overgrown vegetation a problem for you?
- When you go for a walk do you have to duck and side-step branches and weeds hanging in the sidewalk?
- When you go for a ride do you have to duck and ride around branches and weeds hanging in the bike path or bike lane?
- When you drive through an overgrown intersection, do you make a legal stop before the crosswalk and look both ways? Or do you drive through the crosswalk and stop only after you can see both ways?
- When you drive down a winding street with vegetation in the roadway, can you see down the street far enough to stop for a pedestrian, a biker or a stopped vehicle?
- When you cross a street, do you have to step off the curb to see around overgrown vegetation hanging in the street?
- When you follow a school bus or other large vehicle, do you see them hitting the vegetation along the street; risking damage to top-mounted lights, flashers and side-mounted mirrors?
- Add to the list – use the Blog or the Contact Us page.
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