Courtesy of the City of Los Altos
Six- and 7-foot-tall weeds at this Larkellen Lane house prompted the Los Altos City Council to adopt a weed abatement ordinance. The law would bill the property owner for upkeep if the problem isn't remedied through a notice to the offender and subsequent council hearing.
Town Crier Staff Writer
Pulling weeds just got easier in Los Altos.
At its Sept. 8 meeting, the Los Altos City Council adopted a new weed abatement ordinance. With the new process, the city sends a notice to the offender and holds a council hearing. If the problem isn't remedied, the city can go in, deal with weeds or any health hazards, and bill the property owner.
"This is a defensible process," said city manager Phil Rose. It will be "so much easier to administer."
Last year the city received weed complaints on 26 properties. In all but one of the situations the owners cleaned up the yards.
That one became a poster house for weeds run amok and became the push behind the city's new ordinance.
Neighbors of the offending home on Larkellen Lane, in south Los Altos, began to worry about fire danger when the weeds kept growing.
"The weeds were really tall, 6- to 7-feet," said neighbor Bob King. "This house was an eyesore and a health hazard. One neighbor (whose property adjoined the offending yard) killed 12 rats in one night," King said.
The house is vacant and owned by a person who lives in Saratoga, neighbors said.
Larkellen residents began lobbying city council members with pictures and letters.
Rose said he never visited the actual house but did see the pictures.
"That was enough," he said.
The city continued to send notices to the owner, "several times," Rose said. And nothing happened.
Finally the owner cleaned it up "at the last minute."
With the new ordinance, the owner is given 10 days to clean up a problem. After a hearing with the council, if nothing happens, the city can go in and cut the weeds and deal with any health hazards.
Costs are filed as a lien against the property.
And the next time a repeat offender is "on this list, then the city can go out without council's action" to fix the problem, Rose said.