On March 10, Beavercreek City Council unanimously voted to adopt a new weeds and grass ordinance.
That’s after city residents worked with planning and zoning staff over several months to draft new rules to accommodate native plant landscapes.
“I want to thank you guys for working together,” said Beavercreek Mayor Don Adams. “I think that was important to come up with (the ordinance).”
There are about 20,000 properties within city limits. City officials cited some people’s native plant lawns as overgrown weeds and grass in the past two years. But these residents say tending native plants creates habitat and food sources for declining insect and bird populations.
Some of the biggest changes in the ordinance include new terms like “native plants” and “managed and maintained,” and prohibition of invasive plants.
It also created a rule that “vegetation, other than lawns and trees commonly found within a yard, must be contained within landscape beds,” the new ordinance reads. Those require “clear delineation” from the rest of the lawn and cannot exceed 50% of the front yard.
“It's a starting point, and it's a number that we're going to continue to monitor over the coming year."
Residents who currently have more than half of their yards covered with native plant landscapes will be exempt, “so long as it remains otherwise lawful,” said Beavercreek planning and zoning director Randy Burkett at the Monday meeting.
Several residents at the meeting applauded most of these updates. But some questioned the details. Beavercreek resident and retired engineer Valerie Van Griethuysen discussed the 50% cap.
“I take it (that number) was somewhat arbitrary, but unless there is a scientific basis for 50%, I don't see that that is valid,” she said.
A group of residents brought a draft ordinance to city officials back in December, which did not include a 50% restriction on non-grass vegetation nor a requirement for such plants to be kept in landscaped beds.
Beavercreek’s planning and zoning director Randy Burkett said they can’t accommodate everyone on everything.
“It's a starting point, and it's a number that we're going to continue to monitor over the coming year,” Burkett said.
Patricia Lozano is a Beavercreek resident with native plants on her property. She was one of the residents cited last year for being in violation of the weeds and grass ordinance. She said she should be comforted by the grandfathering of her lawn, but she could still be cited under other clauses.
“I think (where) we're going to end up with some argument is what they considered managed and maintained,” Lozano said.
What is defined as “managed and maintained”, ultimately, is up to the discretion of the planning and zoning director, according to the new ordinance.
The 10 inch height restriction still applies to grass lawns on properties, but Burkett said as long as plants are in a landscaped bed, it will not be subject to that height restriction.
Burkett said as enforcement begins, if unforeseen difficulties arise, the department might revisit the ordinance.
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