As the seasons change and the growing season kicks into full gear, residents are reminded to maintain their properties, especially yards, trees/shrubs, and sidewalk areas, pursuant to Spearfish City Code.
“It’s the time of year when we start cleaning up our properties from the winter and look forward to enjoying the summer months,” Code Enforcement Officer Jade Addison said. “It’s also the time of year we start hearing from residents concerned about nuisances in their neighborhoods, so we want to kindly remind homeowners to begin their maintenance of their property. Residents should be aware you may receive a door hanger or letter as an additional reminder.”
Once your trees, shrubs, and other vegetation are fully leafed out, take a walk on any sidewalk/street/alley adjacent to your property to check for anything on your property that needs to be maintained/trimmed/managed to allow free, safe, and full use of these spaces by the public. Remember the Vertical Line Rule: Pursuant to Spearfish City Code, bushes cannot extend over a vertical line above the edge of the sidewalk, and overhanging trees should be trimmed to allow a minimum overhead sidewalk clearance of 10 feet. It is suggested trees be trimmed to allow a minimum overhead clearance of 14 feet above the street and alley. Property owners are also responsible for pruning tree branches and shrubs so that they do not obstruct the view of any street or alley intersection.
It is important for these areas to be cleared properly for the safety of the traveling public. Proper maintenance and pruning of vegetation are important to:
-Allow taller vehicles (including fire trucks, street sweepers, and utility trucks) to safely pass through
-Ensure traffic signs are visible
-Reduce risks of fallen limbs and fire
-Provide parking for vehicles, where allowed, on the road edge
-Maintain optimized storm water drainage
-Keep the sidewalk accessible for all; it’s also important to keep sidewalks clear of leaves, loose gravel, and other debris because they can all cause issues for users. Residents should also check and maintain adjacent sidewalks to ensure they are not in disrepair/cause a hazard to people using the sidewalk.
Grass and weeds having reached a height of 10 inches, or any noxious weeds, are considered a nuisance, and property owners are reminded to keep their yards and boulevard area (area between the sidewalk and street, where applicable) trimmed. (Please note, areas within 20 feet of a creek or stream, with a slope that is steeper than 2 horizontal feet to 1 vertical foot, or that are highly erodible, as well as drainage/irrigation ditches, may be exempt from the 10-inch height limit.)
As the weather heats up, the City encourages water conservation practices, including every-other-day, at most, lawn watering schedules and only watering during the hours of 6 p.m. to 8 a.m. Spearfish City Ordinance prohibits lawn watering between the hours of 11 a.m. and 6 p.m.
The Spearfish City Ordinances are available online, with nuisances outlined in Chapter 92. For more information, CLICK HERE, and if you have questions or wish to report an area of concern, please contact Code Enforcement at 605-642-1300 or fill out the online form by CLICKING HERE.
