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As of last week, a few things changed with one of Kenbridge’s ordinances. On Thursday, May 1, the town staff started enforcing the rules with the grass and weeds ordinance. The town council decided to keep a closer eye on enforcement, Kenbridge Manager Tony Matthews told The Dispatch.

To comply with the ordinance, residents need to keep grass under the 12’ maximum height and keep greenery from reaching overgrowth. Residents must also keep trash and debris picked up and disposed of properly.

“This is a seasonal ordinance due to grass growth times after our free debris pickup here in the Town,” Matthews said. “I (started) notices and enforcement on May 1. I would like to give people enough time to take care of their lawns on their own without having to resort to enforcement. “

To help with the seasonal clean up prep around Kenbridge, the Town offered free debris pickup from April 21-25. But now, the rules are being enforced, so here’s how it works. If a property is deemed in violation, the property owner will receive a letter from the town that states the residents are in danger of officially violating the grass and weeds ordinance and they have 15 days to comply. If you fix the issue within that 15-day window, there’s no fine, no problem at all. However, if compliance does not happen after 15 days, the Kenbridge Maintenance Department will be utilized to bring the property back to ordinance compliance. In other words, they’re going to come and clean up the property, mowing the grass and trimming things down.

That doesn’t mean it happens for free. Instead of doing it yourself, you’re going to end up having to pay the town employees to do the work. Under the ordinance, the property owner is responsible for paying the hourly rate for the labor and equipment necessary to complete the work.

Cautious of fire hazards in Kenbridge

It’s easy for dry grass and weeds to ignite with just the smallest spark. The longer they are, the more of a problem that could be. And nobody wants to deal with a problem like the 200-acre fire that took place earlier this year.

Matthews said the Kenbridge administration is particularly mindful of fire hazards brought on by the growing season after that blaze. It took several responding agencies, including the Kenbridge Fire Department, to contain and put it out.

The Town Manager also discussed the differences between living in town as opposed to more remote areas and stressed that property values are also directly impacted by the shape of individual properties and the properties around them.

“As we all know, living in town is different from living out of town in a rural setting,” Matthews said. “In town, one should respect their property and also their neighbors, as the homes are generally closer together and such things as line of sight, peace of mind from rodents and other animals, and general neighborhood appearance should all be taken into account.”  

Matthews said property values are directly affected by the state of a property as well. According to Matthews, too often properties are left to family members who either do not live in the area or don’t even realize they have inherited a piece of property. Then the property falls into disrepair.

What does the ordinance say?

And if you want to know the specific text from the town’s grass and weeds ordinance, here you go. It says that “Grass or weeds and other foreign growth on the vacant, developed or undeveloped property shall not exceed 12 inches in height. The owners of such vacant, developed, or undeveloped property in the town in violation of this section shall cut the grass, weeds, and other foreign growth on such property. (b)The town may, whenever the town manager deems it necessary, after reasonable notice, have such grass, weeds or other foreign growth cut by its agencies or employees, in which event, the cost and expenses thereof shall be chargeable to and paid by the owner of such property and may be collected by the town as taxes and levies are collected.”