I’d like your opinion on something. Let’s call it the “Sidewalk Squeeze”.
Your typical Wallingford sidewalk is three squares wide, each square measuring 2′ across. That adds up to a healthy 6′ of breadth, enough that someone stumbling home from a late night at the Leny’s or the Grizzled Wizard can do a bit of weaving without trampling anyone’s lawn.
But, of course, Wallingford is home to many a healthy garden and a bevy of bushes, many of which encroach on that 6′. A slew of succulents sluicing the cement, a mass of moss meandering across the walkway, or a bush butting across the property line.
In most cases, I’m a fan of it. Who needs a bunch of hard lines and right-angles defining our sidewalks? I don’t see many chemlawned, edged lawns in this neighborhood and I’m glad of it. I’d rather see the curvy, organic tumble of greenery as I walk than the sharp edges of concrete, wouldn’t you? And what’s the loss?
But there’s a limit, and I believe that limit is one 2′ square. Past that, I get grumbly.
When I’m walking side-by-side with my sweetie, and we need to fall into single file, it seems a bit presumptuous of the gardener: “hey, you weren’t using that sidewalk anyway, were you?” Yes, I was.
Therefore, I would like to propose the Rule of Two-Thirds: feel free to let your garden overstep its bounds, make the neighborhood a greener place. But you get one-third of the sidewalk to do it on. Two-thirds should remain open for hand-holding.
What do you all think? Obviously, this reeks of “first world problems”, so I’ll save you the trouble of pointing out that bit of tedium in the comments section, but if you’ve got another opinion, I’d love to hear it. Let it grow? Or is even one-third too many?
I’m occasionally annoyed by this too, though I think the dog walkers that manage to take up the entire sidewalk with their lunging, barking, poorly-controlled beasts are worse (the people who have well-controlled dogs who just want to sniff under those overgrown bushes are obviously exempt from this derision).
When the garden overtakes the sidewalk, it’s too much. I’ve had to report overgrown gardens on parking strips by an intersection, because it blocked the view of oncoming traffic.
Good grief, that picture shows a lot! That overgrowth is too much. I think I would take my clippers and a trash bag with me on my walks and clip it down bit by bit. I don’t think the overgrowth is legal! Time for the neighbors to talk to whomever the overgrowth belongs to.
All of the side walk should be available, all the time. Not just 2/3.
A portion of the law from the city website follows:
“Safety hazard” means vegetation which overhangs the streets, sidewalk or alley in such a way as to impede the free and full use of the street, sidewalk or alley, and vegetation which obstructs the vision of drivers such that traffic regulation signs or view of an intersection is obstructed from a position of thirty (30) feet or closer to the intersection, and vegetation which creates injury to or the opportunity or risk for injury to passersby or the general public.”
We can have green growth horizontally and vertically, but they must be trimmed so that the entire sidewalk is available. Single strollers, double strollers motorized wheelchairs need all the space. If any shrubbery occludes the sidewalk, it should be trimmed back by the property owner. If it is reported, the city will come out to trim it back to conform to this rule. And send a bill to the owner.
I concur, and would ask that homeowners not crowd the sidewalk with plantings at all.
Sure, the vegetation is pretty (well, some of it is) but what matters more is that my neighbor (who uses a motorized wheelchair) has to stop at a curb, and and then cross to the other side of the street because the overgrown sidewalk is impassable. Please make the entire sidewalk available for use. Thanks!
I live on an alley and have had my vehicle scratched up trying to squeeze by overgrown greenery. At times I get the pruners and trim it back. Sometimes I feel bad about, but if it’s scratching my little compact it sure is scratching up bigger vehicles too, and the impact on cars is bigger than on pedestrians. But I do love the old gardens in this neighborhood, for sure.
2/3 seems pretty fair to me.
It limits double strollers, motorized wheelchairs. It limits walking even when there is only a single stroller. I think the sidewalk, all of it, should be available.
This has been a pet peeve of mine for many years. On more than one occasion I’ve nearly had an eye taken out at night by low hanging branches and vines. Excessive vegetation may also provide cover for criminal activity.
It’s not just a matter of overly enthusiastic gardening, IMHO; it’s often just neglect.
This cracks me up! I have often dreamed of a machine shaped like a large door frame with blades that you could push down the sidewalk and it would cut everything hanging over and above the sidewalk. This was especially annoying when I was pushing a double and triple stroller for many years.
BUT I have to say – my own yard gets a bit over grown sometimes! Where is the magical cutter for my yard too?
People who need assistance and must walk side by side and those who use walkers and wheelchairs need 2/3 of the sidewalk. In some areas it is not possible to see ahead to know they cannot get through the plantings. Going into the street is not always a safe option.
Some of our neighbors have planted bushy vertical trees in their curb gardens. Where the lot is on a corner, drivers approaching the intersection cannot see through the bushy trees to avoid oncoming traffic.
When I was biking home Friday, I noticed that the (city-owned) greenery at the south end of the Fremont Bridge at Dexter and Westlake had grown to dinosaur size. Admittedly, with all the rain it’s hard to keep it trimmed, but it was taller than I was. In the traffic situation, I’d ordinarily have considered taking the sidewalk with my bike but it would have required a machete.
Yeah, it’s kind of ridiculous! https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/2b79eb6104ffc065a32c4dfe4708b23a7f330e9558227e50eea38b9a38e1d7be.jpg
Where was that taken? I want to take a selfie there!
I think it’s along the Burke in Fremont, near the new water thingamajig they are building there…
I specialize in fruit tree pruning and frequently deal with trees that have grown over streets and sidewalks. Contact me if you or your neighbor needs a fruit tree pruned for safety, health, and fruit production. Now is a good time for pruning stone fruit or apples and pears. [email protected]
Can we start with SDOT, who has let the green space under I-5 and along 40th overgrow its stupid goat fence ever since that atrocity was erected?
Please be kind and talk directly to your neighbors about this without posting pictures of their front plants/home on the internet.
You don’t mean this photo, do you? The one with absolutely zero identifying information?
Do you understand the spirit of this statement? I’m so curious.
Diane, if this is your garden, please do a radical trim back on those euphorbias. The sap is photoallergenic for some of us, which is why I ripped out all of mine.
It’s not mine but I was taught that if I have an issue with a neighbor it’s a good idea to talk to them. It’s really easy. Posting passive aggressive posts seems… eh. Is that our neighborhood culture?
Good to know that – purge the spurge!
It’s not mine but if you have a problem with a neighbor, TALK to them. It’s really easy. Posting passive aggressive posts to a neighborhood blog is so sad. Is that our neighborhood culture?