Cactus Village Community

Why We Have and Need A Neighborhood Preservation Code

Aug 05, 2003

There was a time, not so long ago, that most people were proud to own their own home and that pride was reflected in the appearance of their property. You could see many, most every weekend, outside making this improvement or another, mowing their laws, trimming the shrubbery, planting new flowers according to the season, and yes, even giving their home a new coat of paint. There was pride! ?— You could see it on their faces ?— hear it in their voices as they waved to another neighbor doing the same.

It frequently turned into a social time, a time to greet one another and share stories of their efforts or of the events they had experienced the past week. Sometimes ?‘this sharing of tales?’ evolved into a neighborhood BBQ or swim for the families. But, times have changed. Families are so busy going here or there, working more than one job just to make ends meet, trying to keep up with an impossible schedule, that they have precious little time to visit with their neighbors, much less to spend a morning or afternoon maintaining or improving their homes appearance.

Now ?‘neighborhood blight?’ has become an issue. One neighbor, for whatever reason, doesn?’t keep up with the maintenance of his/her home and before long another sees what they haven?’t done and says ?‘why should I care and sweat if they don?’t care?’. It?’s called a domino effect. Before long the bad attitude spreads and the neighborhood has a problem.

Homes become more difficult to sell. The value of each home begins to drop and the less desirable elements of our-society are attracted. They see a neighborhood ripe -for moving in, because it appears that few really care. Now comes the final blow. They bring their Crime and Its Violence with them.

Sound like a fairy tale? Not hardly. This sequence of events has happened all over the valley. It has been proven time after time. This is why we now have a Neighborhood Preservation Code. We are now required by law to do what we used to do out of our personal pride of ownership. We have brought it on ourselves. I believe that it?’s time to make some changes...

?“Perhaps we could begin with one simple change. Did you know that it is a violation to leave your trash containers out where they can be seen? They must be stored where they cannot be seen from the front?”.

Junk, Trash and Debris
Junk, trash and debris cannot be left in the yard and must be properly disposed of. This includes junk auto parts, appliances, furniture, building and/or landscaping material, and tires; trash such as discarded paper, cardboard, plastics, etc. including tree trimmings and fallen limbs, or any other items that appear to have been discarded.

Condition of Structures
The maintenance of a structure is the responsibility of the property owner. Any wood, siding, shingles, roof covering, railings, fences, walls, ceilings, porches, door, windows, screens, and other exterior parts of any structure must be maintained in weather-tight, sound condition and in good repair.

The property owner is responsible for maintaining the property and structures, including maintaining secure windows, doors, and other openings so that they cannot easily be opened from the outside. A property owner may be required to board up a structure if it becomes vacant and is not secure. Accessory structures on the property, such as storage sheds, garages and similar type structures also must be secured.

Parking
Parking is permitted for passenger cars and motorcycles in residential lots only on a legal driveway or in a garage. A driveway or parking area must be constructed with an approved dust free parking surface. There are limits to the amount of yard area that can be used for a driveway or parking. A maximum of 35% of the front yard may be converted to driveway or parking.

Yard Maintenance
Yard maintenance standards are the responsibility of the property owner and include the maintenance of any right-of-way abutting the property. This includes alleys.

Grass must be maintained at six inches or less. All shrubs and trees in the right-of-way and on the property must be maintained so they do not impair vision or obstruct the travel of motorists and pedestrians. All dead trees and vegetation must be removed and disposed of properly.

ANIMAL WASTE:
All animal owners and custodians shall immediately clean up and properly dispose of wastes left by their animals on any public street, gutter, sidewalk, right-of-way, park, or private property.

Commercial Vehicles
Generally, commercial equipment and commercial vehicles may not be parked in a residential area. For each residential lot, only one commercial vehicle under one and one half (1/2) ton rated capacity may be parked on a legally recognized parking surface. Semi-tractors and/or trailers may not park in a residential zone on the street, on the property, or on any adjacent residential lots.

You may obtain a copy of the Phoenix City Ordinances at the City Clerk?’s Office at 602-262-6811 or the Public Library at 602-262-4636.

Inoperative Motor Vehicles
Inoperable or unregistered vehicles cannot be visible beyond the bounds of the property. An inoperable vehicle is a vehicle that does not display a current license tag and/or is not equipped with all parts that are required to legally and safely operate it on public streets and/or cannot be driven under its own power. Car covers, tarps, bamboo, and other similar types of materials are not acceptable screening.

To report unlicensed/inoperable vehicles:
Parked on the street, call Phoenix Police at 262-6151. Parked on private property, call Neighborhood Maintenance and Zoning Enforcement at 262-7844. . . ☻