Coweta County’s regulations prohibiting grass and weeds over 12 inches tall in subdivisions would be expanded to cover all residential property in the county, under an amendment that will be considered at Tuesday’s meeting of the Coweta County Board of Commissioners.
Several years ago, the county adopted an ordinance regulating the height of grass on residential subdivision lots, as well as on commercial and industrial lots.
The county has used the ordinance to go in and clean up the yards of vacant homes. A lien is then been placed on the properties in order to recover the cost of the cleanup.
The proposed amendment will apply the regulation to all “developed” lots in the county other than agricultural lots.
The ordinance only applies to the “yard area” of the properties. And, it “shall not prohibit properties to maintain controlled natural growth on a developed property,” according to the amendment text provided with agenda materials.
Controlled natural growth is defined as “native plant material that is groomed to promote the health and appearance of the plant.”
The commissioners will also consider an amendment to the nuisance ordinance regulating “unsanitary, unsafe or unhealthy conditions.”
The current ordinance states: “No person is to allow privately-owned real property to contain an unsafe condition as the result of an accumulation of weeds, trash, junk, filth, standing water or any other unsanitary, unsafe or unhealthy condition.”
The proposed amendment reads as follows: “The accumulation of weeds, trash, junk, filth, standing water and any other unsanitary or unsafe condition which renders the property unsafe, unsanitary, dangerous or detrimental to the health, safety and welfare of the those individuals residing on the property or in the general vicinity of the property shall constitute a public health hazard and a general nuisance. A finding by the county health department or building inspector that such property is a health or safety hazard shall constitute prima facie evidence that said property is in violation of this section.”
Other items to come before the board include:
• A decision on the road name request for the new entrance road to West Georgia Technical College.
• A confirmation of road closures requested by Stalwart Films.
• A bid award for landscape cleanup of three properties.
• A request for approval of audit billing adjustments and the fiscal year 2011 final budget adjustments.
• A request to reduce the speed limit on Bear Creek Road from 55 mph to 45 mph.
