Chestermere can be counted among one of the most beautiful cities in Canada!
To keep it that way, the City’s Community Peace Officers are reminding residents and property owners that yards and lawns need to be maintained on a regular basis.
“If we all do our small part and work together to be good neighbours, we can all be proud of our community and enjoy our outdoor spaces,” says Community Peace Officer Shawn Press.
Peace Officers ask that yards are clear of garbage, bottles, building materials, vehicle parts and accumulations of pet droppings or other debris that might cause odours or attract pests.
“Grass and weeds also need to be taken care of regularly as any lawn that is longer than 15 cm is considered unsightly,” says Press.
Press also adds that trees, hedges and shrubs must be trimmed so that they do not overhang into the street or sidewalk and interfere with pedestrian or vehicle traffic.
“The bylaw also applies to drainage swales and the building structures, so property owners need to make sure that drainage on their property unblocked and that fences, exterior walls and roofs are in good repair,” says Press.
The Unsightly Properties Bylaw applies to property owners as well as construction companies or developers who have purchased property that is slated for future development.
“Property owners must maintain the premises even if the property is vacant or currently undeveloped,” says Press. “Owners can ask their renters to maintain the grounds of their properties but any fines for unsightly properties are applied to the owner, not the renter of the property.”
If property owners fail to comply with requests to maintain their yards, the City will hire a contractor to complete the maintenance and the cost of the service will be added to the property owner’s Tax Roll.
“Violation fines range from $150 to $1,000 so it’s really in everyone’s best interest to take pride and ownership of their property maintenance,” adds Press.
A full list of the City’s bylaws can be found at chestermere.ca/Bylaws.