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We’re about at that point. Old Man Winter is wrapping up his time here and before long, winter will be a memory. As spring approaches, Kenbridge officials are reminding residents about the town’s existing grass and weeds ordinance.

“Simply stated, the ordinance helps Kenbridge to ensure that property is kept within the guidelines that have been established to protect the rights and properties of neighbors,” Kenbridge Town Manager Tony Matthews said. “Any property that is deemed outside of regulation could bring down property values, attract unwanted pests that can spread through the area, and generally be an eyesore.”

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.

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. So here’s the deal. 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.

Why is Kenbridge focusing on this?

And yes, we’re not quite in the growing season yet, but this is still a concern for town officials, especially after the recent forest fire. 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 we just had.

It took several responding agencies, including the Kenbridge Fire Department, to contain and put out the blaze. Matthews also emphasized that the grass and weeds ordinance is not new, but rather it is a longstanding regulation in town. He also points out that unkept grass and weeds can damage property values. 

“As we all know, living in town is different than 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 grass 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.”