A pair of resident complaints regarding tall weeds and grass on neighboring properties prompted a 4-3 vote of the Oxford Township Board last week to revisit the idea of having a noxious weed ordinance.
‘If you lived in a home that you took pride in and you’ve got neighbors on either side of you within 30 or 40 feet, I don’t think you would like weeds 27 or 28 inches tall coming up beside your house,? said Mick Steiner, a resident of the Oxford Woods subdivision.
There are two homes on Somerville Drive, where Steiner lives, that have no one living in them and owners unwilling to maintain their property.
As a result, the weeds and grass have grown more than 24 inches tall and neighbors have been forced to mow the yards, he told officials.
Steiner’s also upset because there are two homes on Drahner Road, across from his subdivision, at which the lawns have not been cut and are ‘excessively long.?
‘I need the township’s assistance in making sure that people that don’t take care of their homes do so, so that our property values can be protected,? he said. As such, Steiner requested the board approve some type of noxious weed ordinance.
Noxious weeds are defined as ‘all types of weeds and grass that exceed 8 to 12 inches above ground level,? he told officials The height varies from one community to another.
The township considered a noxious weed ordinance back in 2003, but ultimately rejected the idea.
‘I’ve been to every house in that subdivision. I know most of the people there and they don’t want noxious weeds in their neighborhood,? Steiner said.
However, township officials expressed concern over where this would be enforced and on what size parcel given the township is still a mix of subdivisions with small lots and rural areas with large tracts of land.
‘What would you suggest we do with people that own one acre, two acres, five acres? Make them mow their yard?? asked Supervisor Bill Dunn.
But Steiner said to have the ordinance apply to subdivisions.
‘That’s where we’re having the problems,? he noted.
‘We have subdivisions that are one-acre, two-acre, five-acre (lots),? said Trustee Sue Bellairs. ‘And some people don’t choose to mow all of that.?
‘I think deciding where it should be enforced in the township is going to be the challenge,? said Planning Commission Chairman Don Silvester, noting there are people in R-1 zoning, which is typically houses on lots with a minimum of 12,000 square feet, who have 10 or 20-acre parcels.
‘You’re going to make them go ahead and mow their entire 10 or 20 acres ? you can’t do it,? Silvester said. ‘We need to be able to do something, but I just don’t know how to do it.?
‘It’s a challenge to define what the subdivision is,? Steiner admitted. ‘And other communities have been able to do it in exactly the same circumstances.?
He cited Orion Township’s noxious weed ordinance as an example and told officials he’d be glad to do the ‘legwork? researching similar ordinances in other communities.
‘I really don’t care what Orion’s doing, I just want to do what’s right for this community,? Dunn said. ‘I want to take a look at this community and do what’s right for this community.?
Township officials also heard from village resident Diane Nichols.
A resident of First Street, there’s a utility easement located in the township that runs parallel between her village street and the Waterstone development.
Owned by the International Transmission Company, who purchased it from Detroit Edison in December 2000, the easement used to be maintained by the neighbors.
‘We mowed the lawn for 10 years,? Nichols said. ‘We never charged them.?
The neighborhood also used it for recreational purposes, placing horseshoe pits and picnic tables on it.
Unfortunately, this constituted an ‘illegal encroachment? on the easement.
When the residents got an October 2006 letter from the utility company notifying them to remove all their items from the property or else be charged for removal, Nichols said she and her neighbors complied, but many were unwilling to keep mowing the easement.
She said the International Transmission Company indicated they would place the easement on a mowing schedule, but ‘they have not mowed it.?
‘The weeds are, like, past the knees now,? Nichols said. ‘It’s getting to be a big mess back there. We’ve got all sorts of mosquitoes back there now because of the high weeds.?
People from Waterstone are also pitching debris into the easement, according to Nichols.
With no township ordinance to make the utility company mow the land, she said, ‘We’re kind of stuck.?
Dunn invited Nichols to set up an appointment with him and he’ll personally call this International Transmission Company to put some ‘pressure? on them.
‘When a township speaks, it has a lot more meaning than an individual,? he said.
As for the issue of having a noxious weed ordinance, one of Dunn’s main concerns was enforcement.
‘I’m worried about how we’re going to enforce it,? he said. ‘It’s great to make ordinances, but the enforcement I can see is going to be a little bit of a problem.?
Steiner said the township could easily contract with a company to cut violators? properties, then bill the homeowners for it.
‘If they don’t pay, it’s a lein on their property,? he said.
Although the township board voted to ‘revisit? the noxious weed ordinance issue, officials ultimately could not agree how or when to bring it back.