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Published on 10/20/1999 All articles from this issue

Pulling weeds becomes a thorny issue

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By Joanne Griffith Domingue

Special to the Town Crier

Los Altos City Council members just want to get the weeds pulled on two prominent problem sites in the city.

City workers are ready to fire up municipal mowers for the two vacant lots on the corner of Fremont Avenue and Grant Road, the former site of the gas station the city shut down.

But it's going to be a tougher row to hoe - or weed to pull - at the Tree Farm property on El Camino Real. There, during the city's noticing process, the property changed hands.

The city's newly enacted weed abatement ordinance allows the city onto private property, only after the owner has been notified and the city holds a hearing. Then the city can get rid of the weeds and bill the owner.

With the former gas station property, the owner said, "'Go ahead and abate the property, the city can do a better job,"' said Paul Ray, Los Altos code enforcement officer.

But when City Attorney Bob Booth told council members they couldn't move ahead with the Tree Farm weeds, council members were not happy.

"I consider this a safety issue," said Councilman Francis La Poll. The weeds at the site, 4434 El Camino Real, are easily 3-4 feet tall. "The property owners did get notice, and it should run with the land," La Poll said. "Maybe that (the notice) should have been disclosed" during the sale, La Poll said.

"The property needed abatement in August, it needed abatement in September, and now we're into October," said Councilwoman Kris Casto, shaking her head. La Poll said he wanted to go ahead and cut the weeds.

"That's OK as long as you realize the city may not be able to collect the costs," Booth said.

The council approved going ahead with abating the weeds at Fremont and Grant, but tabled going forward with the Tree Farm.

Booth will report on the city's options, if they must begin the notification process over again, at the council meeting next Tuesday.