MONTEZUMA - In rural Montezuma, it's said you can hear the grass grow and you can see it, too. The town board held a public hearing Wednesday night to address complaints board members received about the failure of some residents to maintain the general appearance of their lawns.
Town attorney Norman Chirco prepared a local law but advised the board to postpone voting until its next meeting, as he was unable to attend last night's meeting.
William S. Saroodis, town supervisor, read a preliminary draft, which stated lawns were to be generally clean and free of weeds. In the event the length of grass exceeds 12 inches, the town would send the property owner a letter advising him to mow within 10 days. If the lawn is not mowed, the highway department would mow and the property owner would be billed. If the bill is not paid within 30 days, it will be added to taxes.
Residents wondered why a law is needed when 95 percent of Montezuma residents keep their properties up. There are a number of unoccupied properties which are unkempt.
A couple of these homes belong to Dean Cummings, who plans to tear one building down and try to rebuild the other, along with cleaning up the surrounding area. Three other properties were mentioned on Fuller Road, Route 31, and East Loop Road as well as some abandoned properties.
“There's no legal action we can take unless there's a local law,” Saroodis said. “Unless you pass a local law, your hands are tied.”
The board explained they had hoped to limit the law to the Hamlet of Montezuma but were told the law had to include the whole town. Because of the number of agricultural parcels in the town, people wanted to know where the lawn ended and the pasture began, not to mention gulleys and right-of-way.
“There is some ambiguity in the law,” Saroodis said, “about what constitutes a front lawn.”
Whether the government should control how and when residents mow lawns came into question.
“If it devalues the neighbor's property,” Saroodis said, “something should be done.”
Several of the 25 or so residents at the meeting agreed the law should specifically define the area to be mowed.
“At least, thank God, we've got all winter to think about it,” Helmer said.
The board tabled the issue until its next regular meeting.
In other news:
#&149; The biodiesel plant development is still under way, Saroodis reported. He met with David Colgrove, Auburn BioDiesel Corp. president, who said they still had secured funding and there should be an announcement by the first of the year.
Saroodis said construction was progressing, but the issue holding things up is an environmental impact study that wants to know who's going to clean up the area and how.
#&149; The town is interested in joining others in a feasibility study of hooking up into the city of Auburn's water/sewer system.
#&149; A lawnmower race track has operated in an agricultural/residential area not zoned for recreation near a trailer park at Fuller Road. Linda Hitchcock, chair for the Zoning Board of Appeals, said Jeff Spillman, owner, had to complete an environmental impact statement and go before a Cayuga County Health Department committee to get a variance.
Staff writer Kathleen Barran can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 238 or kathleen.barran @lee.net
William S. Saroodis, town supervisor, read a preliminary draft, which stated lawns were to be generally clean and free of weeds. In the event the length of grass exceeds 12 inches, the town would send the property owner a letter advising him to mow within 10 days. If the lawn is not mowed, the highway department would mow and the property owner would be billed. If the bill is not paid within 30 days, it will be added to taxes.
Residents wondered why a law is needed when 95 percent of Montezuma residents keep their properties up. There are a number of unoccupied properties which are unkempt.
A couple of these homes belong to Dean Cummings, who plans to tear one building down and try to rebuild the other, along with cleaning up the surrounding area. Three other properties were mentioned on Fuller Road, Route 31, and East Loop Road as well as some abandoned properties.
“There's no legal action we can take unless there's a local law,” Saroodis said. “Unless you pass a local law, your hands are tied.”
The board explained they had hoped to limit the law to the Hamlet of Montezuma but were told the law had to include the whole town. Because of the number of agricultural parcels in the town, people wanted to know where the lawn ended and the pasture began, not to mention gulleys and right-of-way.
“There is some ambiguity in the law,” Saroodis said, “about what constitutes a front lawn.”
Whether the government should control how and when residents mow lawns came into question.
“If it devalues the neighbor's property,” Saroodis said, “something should be done.”
Several of the 25 or so residents at the meeting agreed the law should specifically define the area to be mowed.
“At least, thank God, we've got all winter to think about it,” Helmer said.
The board tabled the issue until its next regular meeting.
In other news:
#&149; The biodiesel plant development is still under way, Saroodis reported. He met with David Colgrove, Auburn BioDiesel Corp. president, who said they still had secured funding and there should be an announcement by the first of the year.
Saroodis said construction was progressing, but the issue holding things up is an environmental impact study that wants to know who's going to clean up the area and how.
#&149; The town is interested in joining others in a feasibility study of hooking up into the city of Auburn's water/sewer system.
#&149; A lawnmower race track has operated in an agricultural/residential area not zoned for recreation near a trailer park at Fuller Road. Linda Hitchcock, chair for the Zoning Board of Appeals, said Jeff Spillman, owner, had to complete an environmental impact statement and go before a Cayuga County Health Department committee to get a variance.
Staff writer Kathleen Barran can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 238 or kathleen.barran @lee.net
