A Mesa resident can park a hulking boat at the side of his home without shielding it, but the city says the neighbor next door with an equally massive recreational vehicle has to screen it from view.
These rules have boat and RV owners — along with the City Council — scratching their heads as they try to make sense of Mesa’s anti-blight ordinance.
Mesa is trying to simplify its nuisance regulations in light of conflicts like this that are the result of the city changing its blight rules a year ago. The different regulations for watercraft and RVs is one of the more glaring problems.
Mayor Scott Smith said there are likely thousands of cases involving unscreened watercraft, adding it’s “inexplicable” that the rules aren’t the same for RVs.
“Common sense would say that is an inconsistency,” Smith said. “I don’t know where to draw the line.”
Elected officials weren’t sure if the requirement to cover RVs should be extended to watercraft, or repealed.
Councilman Dave Richins, who has an unscreened boat at the side of his house, said the city shouldn’t micromanage every neighborhood with screening regulations. People who don’t want to see RVs or boats should live in HOAs where those things are prohibited, he said.
“I’m very concerned about encroaching too far, onto becoming a giant City of Mesa HOA,” Richins said.
The City Council didn’t make a decision after discussing the issue Thursday, but asked city staff to research policies in other cities.
Mesa is working to clean up other parts of its blight ordinance. The rules are sometimes unclear now but will be rewritten in bullet points so code enforcement officers and the public have an easier time determining what the rules are, said Laura Hyneman, deputy director of development and sustainability.
“We think that’s going to be easier for people to understand,” Hyneman said.
The city is also refining rules for how far back trees must be trimmed from sidewalks and streets. And it’s expanding the definition of blight to include damage to a building’s structural integrity, overgrown landscaping and dead or dying plants.
Mesa will expand the definition of a garage sale, which a resident can have only four times a year. Some residents used the term yard sale or carport sale to skirt regulation, Hyneman said.
“We’re finding as people get cited for this, we need to clearly define what a garage sale is,” she said.
Contact writer: (480) 898-6548 or ggroff@evtrib.com
TruthSeeker posted at 12:12 pm on Mon, May 28, 2012.
We definitely need nuisance regulations. Otherwise, our neighborhoods would look like the barrios. If you can afford a boat or an RV, you should be able to afford a place to dock them where your neighbor doesn't have to look at it every day. Perhaps in your own backyard? You would probably object to that because you don't want to look at it either? Out of your sight, but directly in mine. Store your toys in your own backyard! Dave Richin is so out of touch! Like a person can just up and move to a neighborhood with an HOA.
AGS posted at 12:56 pm on Mon, May 28, 2012.
are you serious? this is just another stupid regulation. personally i don't own an rv or boat but some of my neighbors do and it doesn't bug me at all. Thanks now this regulation makes mesa look stupid when it is in need of gaining a better reputation.
Carolyn posted at 3:20 pm on Mon, May 28, 2012.
Unscreened boats and RVs parked at the side of one's house don't bother me - what DOES bother me are yards that are full of weeds and dirt (even in the public sidewalk cracks in front of those yards) instead of doing some landscaping. We have flood irrigation in my area. There are several people on my street who need to get a grip and do some landscaping (if nothing else, have a "rock" yard, just so it's neat). One of them quit taking irrigation because they "couldn't afford it" (it's the cheapest way in existence to water one's lawn and plants), but they could afford to have another baby, which, eventually, will join their others in riding a tricycle or bicycle in the street or onto the property of others (unsupervised, of course - these parents supervise NOTHING) so that we have to travel down our street at 2 mph in fear that one of them will dart out in front of a car. Irresponsible parents, irresponsible house occupants.....irresponsible lifestyle.
Pat W posted at 11:03 pm on Mon, May 28, 2012.
When I was looking at houses to buy two years ago I did not look in neighborhoods with hoa's. I did not want ordinances that said I can't park my boat on the side of my house. I think if you are concerned about your neighbors parking habits, or weed pulling habits, or the color of his house, then that is your problem. Mind your own business. People create hoa's because they want a cookie cutter neighborhood. Other people avoid moving there because they value individualism, and feel all the rules and regulations are an encroachment on their personal choices. If I want my house pink, it's my house. I should be able to have it pink. It shouldn't matter if a neighbor doesn't like it. I may not like his white house, but that's too darn bad. It's his house, his color choice.
BrowardRV posted at 1:17 pm on Tue, May 29, 2012.
Interesting... RVSalesOfBroward.com
tunnel_hair posted at 10:07 pm on Tue, May 29, 2012.
How about less worrying about boats and RVs on the sides of homes and more worrying about places like Poca Fiesta and that crappy Bennigan's corner on Alma School and Southern. Honestly? Boats rank up there above that dump?
Engaged Voter posted at 11:31 am on Fri, Jun 1, 2012.
How many illegal aliens must occupy a property before it is considered "blight"?
Considering how the Mesa PD ignores them, it must be at least 20.
(yes, that was a joke)