Wednesday, July 02, 2008

More front yard ridiculousness

Reason... OK, more likely public pressure... prevails:

Sacramento won't fine couple who let lawn die
By Matt Weiser - mweiser@sacbee.com
Published 12:00 am PDT Thursday, July 3, 2008
Story appeared in MAIN NEWS section, Page A1

Sacramento couple who let lawn die to save water face $746 fine
By Matt Weiser - mweiser@sacbee.com

Published 12:00 am PDT Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Story appeared in MAIN NEWS section, Page A1

Their small brick home was declared a "public nuisance" in violation of city code section 17.68.010, which states that front yards "shall be irrigated, landscaped and maintained."
Irrigated? Check; she waters her ferns and hydrangeas.
Landscaped? Check; plants, trees and mulch.
Maintained? Check; plants alive... mulch behaving in an appropriately mulch-like manner. I see no violation here. Move along.

Love the hand-watered lawn next door. Kudos to the photographer.

I think she should install a chocolate garden... nothing but brown-colored flowers and foliage. No law against that. Or is there?

If it's watered and maintained and irrigated, then it's legal, correct? Seems to me the perceived offense is the lack of green. If so, then her neighbors with bermudagrass-infused lawns (a common sight in East Sacramento) are breaking the Green Law every winter unless they reseed with annual ryegrass in time to cover up... the brown. Ooh, maybe she should plant a combination of bermudagrass, oxalis and nutsedge. What a green lawn that would be. Ridiculousness.

6 comments:

  1. Anonymous10:17 AM

    Amazing -- right up there with the illegality of line drying clothes in many communities. Such a waste of resources on all levels. She is to be commended, certainly NOT fined and harassed. It's no wonder we're in this hand basket when local governments force folks to waste water in the second consecutive year of below average rainfall.
    Hell-ooo?
    Grrrrrrr.
    Thanks for highlighting this. I will be sharing this for sure.
    -Ellen in Davis

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  2. That's no surprise since the government wants to run every aspect of our lives and seldom uses common sense. Geez... I agree Ridiculous!

    Wish I could share some of our water here, we've had above average rainfall here in Indiana.

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  3. I heard this story on the radio this morning. What utter BS.

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  4. I posted about this too, and I hope the city feels ashamed for being so dumb and having it splashed on the front page of the Bee for its ridiculousness.

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  5. "Big Brother" is certainly alive and well! Not to mention acting like the "Headless Horsemen".

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  6. Anonymous12:31 AM

    It's not just "the government" being ridiculous about lawns. In fact, it's usually rules and pressure imposed by Home Owner's Associations (aka: our neighbors). CC&R's (Covenants, Codes & Restrictions) seem bent upon creating bland homogeneous streets.

    It's quite insane. And expensive (not to mention environmentally questionable).

    The reason developers slap down sod in front yards is because it is the quickest, cheapest thing for them to do. They go on their merry ways, wallets bulging. Then the homeowners are left with care and maintenance of lawns--the most expensive ground cover.

    The cost of water (not to mention the WASTE!), fertilizer, mower (or garden service), insect control, etc, makes a lawn one big headache with a high price tag.

    garden (grrrrr) gran

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