Council debate to sprout anew on lawn order plan

This story appeared in the Antelope Valley Press March 21, 2001.

By BOB WILSON
Valley Press Staff Writer

PALMDALE - The City Council tonight will resume a debate on new lawn-keeping regulations that would apply to every homeowner in the city.

In the view of Mayor Jim Ledford, the new regulations would decrease neighborhood complaints and increase property values.

In the view of Mayor Pro Tem Mike Dispenza, the regulations would violate homeowners' rights and could force some senior citizens to choose among food, medicine or a green lawn.

Although a homeowner's obligations to keep up a property's appearance are listed in the Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions portions of his or her deed, they can be flouted if no neighbor or neighborhood organization cares or dares to enforce them, City Attorney Matt Ditzhazy said last month, when the debate began.

During that debate, Councilman Rick Norris spoke against the regulations, while councilmen Jim Root and Rod Penner spoke favorably, with Penner asking that its opponents be given more time to discuss their specific concerns with city staff.

The debate will continue tonight when the council meets at 7 p.m. in its chambers, 708 East Palmdale Blvd.

Here are key elements of wording that, if adopted tonight by the Palmdale City Council, would grant the city power to compel property owners to improve their front yards.

Every single-family residential lot shall be required to have one tree installed per street frontage; corner lots shall have one tree planted in the front yard parkway and two trees planted in the side-yard parkway, for a total of three trees.

For all developed lots less than one acre:

a. The front yard shall be landscaped, except for portion covered by paved driveway (or a deck or patio. Pools, ponds and other water features would be included as landscape, but orchards and vegetable gardens excluded.)

b. Any portion of a street side-yard between back of curb and any perimeter fence, wall or structure, and visible from right-of-way, shall be landscaped.

Landscaping is the planting and continuous maintenance of combination of trees, shrubs, vines, ground covers, flowers, lawns or other decorative features. This may include installation of natural features such as rock, stone, earth berms, walkways, plazas, courtyards and structural features such as art works, benches, fountains, waterfalls, reflecting pools and ponds that minimize water loss and use recirculated water.

(Xeriscaping would be allowed. Xeriscaping is a water-conservation approach that incorporates native plants and stones, boulders, cobbles, pavers, decorative concrete, leaves, bark, straw or gravel.)

Landscape areas shall have a permanent, fixed automatic irrigation system adequate to meet water needs of the landscape material. The system shall be designed to minimize maintenance and water consumption, and it be installed to ensure that over-spray onto fences, walls and structures is minimal.

Landscape areas and materials shall be maintained in neat, clean and healthful condition. This shall include proper pruning, mowing of lawns, weeding, removal of litter, fertilizing and regular watering of plants. Any damaged, dead, diseased or decaying plant material shall be replaced.

In no case will landscape areas be allowed to overgrow. Examples of overgrown landscape include:

1. Lawn grass: Plants that have established seed heads, are thatched and matted, are infested with herbaceous weeds or exceed eight inches in height.

2. Shrubs and decorative grasses: Plants so large that they block natural light from entering windows, that extend out of a planter area, extend over roof peaks or eaves, co-mingle with other plants or cause the strangulation of other plants.

3. Trees: Plants that display sucker growth or have grown to a height or canopy width that impairs normal illumination of street lights, extends over property lines, interferes with overhead lines or impacts public property.

The city would provide a list of plants recommended for the local climate, but for properties of less than 1 acre, it would ban new planting of cottonwood, eucalyptus, willows, Siberian elms, tamarack, Arizona or Leyland cypress trees and common Bermuda and pampas grass.