Clear-View Ordinance in Yakima
YAKIMA --- It's an ordinance affecting every corner lot in Yakima, and one man wants changes before his on land is further restricted.
It's something all of us have seen; those things that block our view at intersections. But Yakima already has a Clear- View Ordinance that aims to help. If there's something over 2 1/2 feet tall and oncoming cars feel it's blocking their view of traffic, they have the ability to call Codes. Then Codes can measure to make sure 120 feet on each side of the intersection are clear so cars have time to see the traffic ahead.
"The whole deal has to go and it's a lot of grief. It's impacting my property value," Richard Marcley frowned. After complaints at the corner of Arlington Street and 11th Avenue, Marcley was given the option of either cutting down everything to the left of marked flags in his yard by March 8th, or to face a daily fee after that. "It is a chunk of my property that represents about 70 percent of my lot." He brought his concerns to the council last week, and has been knocking on the doors of corner houses throughout the town since. He hopes the council will change the measurements for certain neighborhoods under a certain speed limit. "I would think it would certainly be worthwhile to have an assessment of where neighborhoods are."
But Action News talked to City Codes, and they say the standard measurements are there for a reason. Different rules for different areas make it difficult for homeowners to understand. Codes is writing a report to council recommending Marcley still cut down his trees and bushes, but would be allowed to keep his fence up for now. That's not enough to satisfy Marcley. "If a lilac bush is 2 1/2 feet tall, it's not a lilac bush in my estimation." It's a tough battle between a landowners ability, or inability, to design their own property and safety
The council plans to bring the issue up at the City Council meeting next Tuesday. Until then, council members agreed to push Marcley's clean-up deadline back until his questions from last meeting are answered.
It's something all of us have seen; those things that block our view at intersections. But Yakima already has a Clear- View Ordinance that aims to help. If there's something over 2 1/2 feet tall and oncoming cars feel it's blocking their view of traffic, they have the ability to call Codes. Then Codes can measure to make sure 120 feet on each side of the intersection are clear so cars have time to see the traffic ahead.
"The whole deal has to go and it's a lot of grief. It's impacting my property value," Richard Marcley frowned. After complaints at the corner of Arlington Street and 11th Avenue, Marcley was given the option of either cutting down everything to the left of marked flags in his yard by March 8th, or to face a daily fee after that. "It is a chunk of my property that represents about 70 percent of my lot." He brought his concerns to the council last week, and has been knocking on the doors of corner houses throughout the town since. He hopes the council will change the measurements for certain neighborhoods under a certain speed limit. "I would think it would certainly be worthwhile to have an assessment of where neighborhoods are."
But Action News talked to City Codes, and they say the standard measurements are there for a reason. Different rules for different areas make it difficult for homeowners to understand. Codes is writing a report to council recommending Marcley still cut down his trees and bushes, but would be allowed to keep his fence up for now. That's not enough to satisfy Marcley. "If a lilac bush is 2 1/2 feet tall, it's not a lilac bush in my estimation." It's a tough battle between a landowners ability, or inability, to design their own property and safety
The council plans to bring the issue up at the City Council meeting next Tuesday. Until then, council members agreed to push Marcley's clean-up deadline back until his questions from last meeting are answered.
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