Residents of Agoura Hills may face a tougher law on eyesores, landscaping





By John Loesing
Acorn Staff Writer

Tired of scruffy homes and sloppy yards, Agoura Hills officials drafted a new property maintenance ordinance they hope will keep the city’s neighborhoods looking consistently sharp.


If approved by the planning commission and city council, the ordinance would streamline existing laws and make prosecution easier against those who neglect their property.


"We have to be as clear as possible about some of these violations because judges in Malibu and other cities have complained about some vague language in existing ordinances," said Craig Steele, Agoura Hills attorney.


Some yards become dumping grounds for discarded furniture and debris, according to city officials. Other violations include the improper parking of Wave Runners and other recreational vehicles.


"We still get a 95 percent compliance rate," said Mike Kamino, planning director. "It’s the 5 percent we have to take to the city prosecutor."


What remains uncertain, however, is whether the city will enact a separate lawn maintenance ordinance. The property maintenance ordinance does only part of the job, Kamino said.


"It requires that people maintain their front lawns, that it can’t be overgrown or have dying vegetation, but nothing that compels one to have a lawn installed," Kamino said.


Agoura Hills based its new ordinance on laws currently used by the cities of Palmdale, San Jose and Rancho Cucamonga. The statutes require homeowners to abide by certain landscaping standards, among other requirements.


Ed Corridori, Agoura Hills city councilman, wants further restrictions on how close RVs and storage containers could be parked next to a neighbor’s home.


"The side yard storage issue is a big deal in Hillrise," Corridori said.


"We’re acting only on complaints," he added. "If there’s no complaint, there’s no problem."


When the new ordinance takes effect, violations won’t be judged by whether or not they cause a reduction in property value, but whether they produce "detrimental appearance" only. Reduction in property value is harder to prove in court, Steele said.


"I don’t think anyone advocates a lawn police in our city," said City Councilman Jeff Reinhardt. "But I think it’s important we have the tools to proceed with some of this."


The city also said it would remain vigilant against unwanted signs on public streets.


During two weekends last summer, code enforcement officers collected more than 30 illegal signs, everything from lost pets to private real estate sales. The signs are usually retrieved on Monday mornings.


The goal isn’t to ban events such as garage sales, but to make the signs less obtrusive. "The question is not if we enforce it, because we do, it’s a question of when," Kamino said.



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